(a) Subject to the initial approval of the Secretary, the appropriate purchasing unit for the following entities may use the services of the Department to purchase materials, supplies, and equipment:
(1) a county;
(2) a municipality;
(3) a governmental unit in the State;
(4) a public or quasi–public agency that:
(i) receives State money; and
(ii) is exempt from taxation under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code;
(5) a private elementary or secondary school that:
(i) either has been issued a certificate of approval from the State Board of Education or is accredited by the Association of Independent Schools; and
(ii) is exempt from taxation under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; or
(6) a nonpublic institution of higher education as provided under § 17–106 of the Education Article.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a)(5) and (6) of this section, the Department may not purchase religious materials on behalf of a private elementary or secondary school or a nonpublic institution of higher education.
(c) The purchasing authority under this section is in addition to, and not a substitution for, the purchasing power of an entity under another law.