The Commissioner of Public Safety, acting in concert with the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory created pursuant to Section 45-1-17, is hereby expressly authorized and directed to determine the equipment and supplies which are adequate and necessary from both a medical and law enforcement standpoint for administration of this chapter. The Commissioner of Public Safety, upon receiving such recommendation from the Mississippi Forensics Laboratory, shall recommend an equipment standard for such equipment to the Department of Finance and Administration. The Department of Finance and Administration, using such a uniform standard for said equipment, shall advertise its intention of purchasing said equipment by one (1) publication in at least one (1) newspaper having general circulation in the State of Mississippi at least ten (10) days before the purchase of such equipment and supplies, and the advertisement shall clearly and distinctly describe the articles to be purchased, and shall receive sealed bids thereon which shall be opened in public at a time and place to be specified in the advertisement.
The Department of Finance and Administration shall accept the lowest and best bid for said equipment and supplies; in its discretion, it may reject any and all bids submitted. The lowest and best bid for said equipment and supplies accepted by the Department of Finance and Administration shall be the state-approved price of said equipment for purchase by the state, county and city governments.
Title to all such testing equipment in the state purchased hereunder shall remain in the Commissioner of Public Safety regardless of what entity pays the purchase price.
The state, counties and municipalities may purchase in the name of the Commissioner of Public Safety such equipment and supplies from other vendors of said equipment and supplies necessary to implement this chapter, provided they purchase of the same quality and standard as certified to the Department of Finance and Administration and approved by the department. However, such equipment and supplies shall not be purchased by the state, counties and municipalities unless it is at a price equivalent to or lower than that approved by the Department of Finance and Administration, pursuant to the bid procedure as outlined herein.