This regulation applies to contracts for human and social services and, in addition to other regulations, authorizes multi-year and sole source contracts. Multi-Year Contracts. In order to assure continuity of human or social services care, a procurement agency may enter a multi-year contract for human or social services when: The conditions in COMAR 21.06.03.09 are met; or The procurement officer, with the approval of the agency head, determines that it is not reasonable to expect that a contract for a single fiscal year will be sufficient to alleviate the conditions for which a group of third-party clients will receive the services. The procurement officer shall follow the procedures required by COMAR 21.06.03.09D. A multi-year contract, including any option periods, may extend for more than 3 years only with the prior express approval of the Board of Public Works. Sole Source Contracts. In order to provide continuity of human or social services care to current third-party clients, the procurement officer shall, before the contract with the current provider expires, attempt to negotiate a sole source contract with the current provider if: A sole source contract with the current provider is authorized under COMAR 21.05.05.02A; or Based on an assessment by a licensed or certified health practitioner, the head of a funding unit determines that a change in the human or social services provider would have a detrimental impact on those clients currently being served by the provider. The licensed or certified health practitioner shall be a psychologist, social worker, physician, nurse, or qualified developmental disabilities professional (QDDP), as defined in COMAR 10.22.03.01B(25), and: May be employed by the procurement agency; but May not be employed by the provider that has the human or social services contract with the procurement agency for the third-party clients. Before issuing a solicitation for services to be provided to current third-party clients, the procurement officer shall: Decide whether a sole source contract will be negotiated for any of these current clients under §C(1) of this regulation; Exclude from the solicitation any current third-party client for whom a sole source contract has been negotiated; and Include in the solicitation a notice of any current sole source contract negotiations for current third-party clients, and a statement that these clients might not be included in any contract resulting from the solicitation.