ALBERT C. RITCHIE, GOVERNOR. 341

regulations under which estimates of the needs of using au-
thorities shall be submitted, and requisitions made, and under
which contracts for purchases may be made.

The Bureau shall determine and formulate standards of all
materials, supplies, merchandise and articles of every descrip-
tion to be purchased for the using authorities of the State.

It shall be the duty o£ the Bureau to contract for or pur-
chase all materials, supplies, merchandise and articles of every
description, except those which the Bureau may determine are
of a strictly perishable character, or which the Bureau may
determine it is impracticable for the using authorities to pur-
chase through or with the approval of the Bureau, or which
may be purchased by using authorities under the authority
and with the approval of the Bureau.

Estimates of the amount and quality of materials, supplies,
merchandise and all other articles needed by the using authori-
ties shall be submitted at such periods as may be prescribed by
the Bureau. When purchases are made through competitive
bidding, the Bureau shall have power to require the success-
ful bidder to furnish a bond to the State, with good and
sufficient surety, conditioned that he will fully and faithfully
perform the terms of the contract. The penalty of all such
bonds shall be determined by the Bureau.

No contract or purchase made by the Central Purchasing
Bureau or under its authority shall constitute such a contract,
purchase or sale as to subject the party or parties thereto to
the penalties provided by Section 483 of Article 27 of the
Annotated Code of Maryland.

SECTION 4. And be it further enacted, That Invoices of all
materials, supplies, merchandise and articles of every descrip-
tion shall be furnished in triplicate by the contractor or seller
at the time of delivery, two of which shall be transmitted to
the using authority to which the articles are sent, and one, at
the same time, to the Bureau. As soon as the articles have
been received and approved by the using authority, and if
he shall find them to correspond with the invoices transmitted
him and the sample, if any, by which they were sold, he shall
transmit to the Bureau one of said invoices with a certificate
thereon of his approval. After the invoice has been approved
by the Bureau, it shall be the authority for the Comptroller
to pay the amount due on the invoice either to the using au-
thority for transmittal to the contractor or seller, or to the