(a) State agency procurement practices for commodities shall incorporate the following:

1. (1) The purchase of commodities by State agencies, including the Office of General Services, shall be conducted in a manner which accords first priority to preferred sources in accordance with the provisions of this Part, second priority to centralized contracts, third priority to agency or multi-agency established contracts and fourth priority to other means of contracting.
2. (2) Commodities contracts shall be awarded on the basis of lowest price to a responsive and responsible offeror, or, in the case of multiple awards, in accordance with section 250.10(c) of this Part.

(k) Officers of any body or agency of the State or of a political subdivision or a district therein, or fire company or volunteer ambulance service as such are defined in section 100 of the General Municipal Law, are authorized to make purchases of commodities through the Office of General Services' centralized contracts, pursuant to the provisions of section 104 of the General Municipal Law. Public authorities and public benefit corporations of the State, including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Interstate Environmental Commission shall be eligible to make purchases from Office of General Services' centralized contracts for commodities. Any qualified non-profit-making agency for the blind approved by the Commissioner of Children and Family Services and any qualified non-profit-making agency for the severely disabled approved by the Commissioner of Education shall be eligible to make purchases from Office of General Services' centralized contracts for commodities. Any county extension service association as authorized under subdivision eight of section 224 of the County Law, or any association or other entity as specified in and in accordance with section 109-a of the General Municipal Law, or any other association or entity as specified in State law, are authorized to make purchases of commodities through the Office of General Services' centralized contracts. Any public library, association library, library system, cooperative library system, the New York Library Association and the New York State Association of Library Boards or any other library except those operated by for profit entities may make purchases through centralized contracts for commodities. The authority granted such entities to purchase from Office of General Services' centralized contracts shall be subject to the following conditions:

1. (1) Participation in certain centralized contracts by political subdivisions and other authorized purchasers may be conditioned upon the filing of requirements for specific commodities through the use of forms issued by the commissioner.
2. (2) When requirements have been submitted to the commissioner by a political subdivision, or other authorized purchasers, such political subdivision or authorized purchaser shall agree that no separate bids for the same requirements shall be sought nor purchases thereof shall be made by such entity.
3. (3) Political subdivisions, and other authorized purchasers, may not withdraw requirements filed without obtaining the commissioner's prior written approval. Such approval shall not be withheld unless the commissioner determines that the withdrawal of the requirement filed will jeopardize the validity of an existing contract or pending contract award.
4. (4) Political subdivisions, and other authorized purchasers, purchasing under a State contract shall, when requested, send a copy of the purchase order to the commissioner upon issuance to the contractor.
5. (5) Notwithstanding anything in this section to the contrary, the commissioner by reason of the nature of the materials, equipment or supplies to be contracted for, existing market conditions, past performance on State contracts, financial disability or for other good and sufficient cause deemed necessary in order to protect the State's own purchasing interest, reserves the right with respect to any contract to be let by the commissioner to eliminate, restrict, limit or reduce participation by all or particular political subdivisions and other authorized purchasers by law where the commissioner so indicates in the contract documents. The commissioner further reserves the right during the course or term of a contract to limit participating political subdivisions and other authorized purchasers to either their historical quantity purchases, as shall be determined by the commissioner, or their filed requirements.
6. (6) Political subdivisions and other authorized purchasers shall accept sole responsibility for payments due contractor for purchases made under a State contract and upon request, and if eligible, must furnish contractor with proper evidence of tax exemption.
7. (7) Political subdivisions or other authorized purchasers shall have primary responsibility for audit and inspection of contract purchases. All commodities delivered under contracts should be inspected immediately for compliance with contract specifications. Contractors should be notified at once, with written confirmation, if commodities deviate from the specifications. If the purchaser experiences problems with contractors in correcting deviations, then the commissioner should be so notified in writing.
8. (8) The commissioner may, upon the failure of a political subdivision or other authorized purchaser to promptly and properly adhere to all contract terms and conditions, statutes, applicable rules and regulations, reasonable directions of the commissioner and good business practices, including prompt payment for materials, equipment or supplies received, suspend such entities' privilege of purchasing through centralized contracts or may take such other action as the commissioner deems appropriate including, but not limited to, the imposition of special conditions and restrictions with regard to future purchases by such entity.