(a) Prior to each adoption year, and not later than August 1, the state board by written request or otherwise shall ask the various vendors of instructional resources, print or electronic, or any combination thereof, to submit samples and prices on items considered appropriate by the state board to teach the curriculum in the public elementary and secondary schools of the state for the current adoption period. The state board also shall accept for consideration newly developed and substantially revised instructional resources for content areas not in the current adoption cycle.

(b) All bids or proposals shall be under seal, and each bidder shall deposit in the State Treasury such sum of money as the state board may designate, such deposit to be not less than $1,000, and not more than $3,000 and such deposit shall be forfeited to the general school fund if such bidder shall fail or refuse to make and execute such contract and bond as are herein required in case of acceptance of all or part of the vendor's bid, and otherwise shall be returned to such bidder after the contract has been made. The state board reserves the right to set the sum of money a vendor is required to deposit in the State Treasury upon submitting a bid: Provided, That the vendor has a previous history of failure or refusal to execute contracts or bonds with the State of West Virginia. The state board may set and collect review fees from publishers and vendors participating in the state instructional resources approval and adoption process.

(c) All bids shall be opened by the state board, or its designee, in public session. After considering the subject matter, product quality, general suitableness, and prices of items submitted, the state board shall, prior to March 1 of each year in which approvals for adoption are made by it, establish a committee of teachers and other educational specialists, including a sufficient number with experience with electronic instructional resources, and with the aid of the committee, shall on or before December 1, prior to county adoptions, select, approve and publish a list of items in each subject and grade in the elementary and secondary subjects required to be taught by the state board. The committee of teachers and other educational specialists shall report their recommendations to the state board on or before November 15 of the year preceding the adoption by the county board. The state board may create a standing committee of teachers and other education specialists, including a sufficient number with experience with electronic instructional resources, for each subject and grade level to review all new or revised instructional resources submitted after the initial approvals for adoption.