(a) In this section, “Committee” means the Pricing and Selection Committee for Blind Industries and Services of Maryland and the Employment Works Program.
(b) There is a Pricing and Selection Committee for Blind Industries and Services of Maryland and the Employment Works Program.
(c) The Committee consists of the following 5 members:
(1) the Secretary of Transportation or a designee;
(2) the Secretary of General Services or a designee;
(3) the Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional Services or a designee;
(4) the Assistant Secretary for Vocational Rehabilitation within the State Department of Education or a designee; and
(5) the Secretary of Labor or a designee.
(d) A member of the Committee:
(1) may not receive compensation; but
(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State Travel Regulations as provided in the State budget.
(e) (1) Blind Industries and Services of Maryland shall provide staff for the Committee.
(2) The staff provided in accordance with paragraph (1) of this subsection shall:
(i) be a blind or a visually impaired associate of Blind Industries and Services of Maryland; and
(ii) complete work related to the duties of the Committee regarding Blind Industries and Services of Maryland under the supervision and direction of the Committee.
(f) The Committee shall:
(1) ensure that supplies and services provided by Blind Industries and Services of Maryland or a community service provider create work opportunities for individuals who have a mental or physical disability, including blindness, for which Blind Industries and Services of Maryland or the community service provider was established to assist;
(2) set the prices of supplies and services that Blind Industries and Services of Maryland provides to reflect the fair market prices for the supplies and services;
(3) establish procedures to govern procurement of supplies and services from community service providers and individual with disability owned businesses;
(4) from the State procurement list, choose appropriate supplies and services for community service providers and individual with disability owned businesses to offer for procurement;
(5) provide that the State procure those supplies and services from a community service provider or an individual with disability owned business;
(6) if supplies or services are not available for procurement from a unit of the State government, determine whether supplies or services are available from a community service provider or an individual with disability owned business;
(7) determine the fair market price of supplies and services that community service providers and individual with disability owned businesses provide;
(8) in accordance with market conditions, adjust prices for the supplies and services that community service providers and individual with disability owned businesses provide; and
(9) at the request of a community service provider or an individual with disability owned business, review and, if appropriate, change the price of a supply or service.
(g) In addition to the duties specified under subsection (f) of this section, the Committee shall:
(1) establish and periodically review eligibility policies or guidelines for participating community service providers and individual with disability owned businesses;
(2) maintain a current list of community service providers and individual with disability owned businesses;
(3) periodically review and revise its list of community service providers and individual with disability owned businesses; and
(4) send any revised list to the Secretary of General Services who shall make the list available to each person responsible for buying supplies or services for the State or a State aided or controlled entity.