(1) Except in regard to purchases of unmarked vehicles made in accordance with purchasing regulations adopted by the Department of Finance and Administration pursuant to Section 31-7-9(2), all agencies shall purchase commodities at the state contract price from the approved source, unless approval is granted by the Department of Finance and Administration to solicit purchases outside the terms of the contracts. However, prices accepted by an agency shall be less than the prices set by the state contract. Prices accepted by an agency shall be obtained in compliance with paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of Section 31-7-13. It shall be the responsibility of the Department of Finance and Administration to ascertain that the resulting prices shall provide a cost effective alternative to the established state contract.

(2) Governing authorities may purchase commodities approved by the Department of Finance and Administration from the state contract vendor, or from any source offering the identical commodity, at a price not exceeding the state contract price established by the Department of Finance and Administration for such commodity, without obtaining or advertising for competitive bids. Governing authorities that do not exercise the option to purchase such commodities from the state contract vendor or from another source offering the identical commodity at a price not exceeding the state contract price established by the Department of Finance and Administration shall make such purchases pursuant to the provisions of Section 31-7-13 without regard to state contract prices established by the Department of Finance and Administration, unless such purchases are authorized to be made under subsection (5) of this section.

(3) Nothing in this section shall prohibit governing authorities from purchasing, pursuant to subsection (2) of this section, commodities approved by the Department of Finance and Administration at a price not exceeding the state contract price established by the Department of Finance and Administration.

(4) The Department of Finance and Administration shall ensure that the prices of all commodities on the state contract are the lowest and best prices available from any source offering that commodity at the same level of quality or service, utilizing the reasonable standards established therefor by the Department of Finance and Administration. If the Department of Finance and Administration does not list an approved price for the particular item involved, purchase shall be made according to statutory bidding and licensing requirements. To encourage prudent purchasing practices, the Department of Finance and Administration shall be authorized and empowered to exempt certain commodities from the requirement that the lowest and best price be approved by order placed on its minutes.

(5) Any school district may purchase commodities from vendors with which any levying authority of the school district, as defined in Section 37-57-1, has contracted through competitive bidding procedures pursuant to Section 31-7-13 for purchases of the same commodities. Purchases authorized by this subsection may be made by a school district without obtaining or advertising for competitive bids, and such purchases shall be made at the same prices and under the same conditions as purchases of the same commodities are to be made by the levying authority of the school district under the contract with the vendor.