(b) The Office of People's Counsel may retain as necessary for a particular
matter or hire experts in the field of utility regulation, including cost of capital
experts, rate design experts, accountants, economists, engineers, transportation
specialists, and lawyers.

Article—State Finance and Procurement

11-203.

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, this Division II does
not apply to:

(1) procurement by:

(xv) the Forvm for Rural Maryland; [and]

(xvi) the Maryland State Lottery Agency, for negotiating and
entering into private sector cooperative marketing projects that directly enhance
promotion of the Maryland State Lottery and its products, if the cooperative
marketing project:

1. provides a substantive promotional or marketing value
that the lottery determines acceptable in exchange for advertising or other
promotional activities provided by the lottery;

2. does not involve the advertising or other promotion of
alcohol or tobacco products; and

3. is reviewed by the Attorney General and approved by the
Maryland Lottery Director or the Director's designee; AND

(XVII) THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION.

(b) (1) The following provisions of this Division II apply to each procurement
enumerated in subsection (a) of this section:

(i) § 11-205 of this subtitle ("Fraud in procurement");

(ii) § 12-204 of this article ("Board approval for designated

contracts");

(iii) Title 12, Subtitle 2 of this article ("Supervision of Capital
Expenditures and Real Property Leases");

(iv) § 13-219 of this article ("Required clauses—Nondiscrimination

clause");

(v) § 13-221 of this article ("Disclosures to Secretary of State");

(vi) Title 16 of this article ("Debarment of Contractors"); and

(vii) Title 17 of this article ("Special Provisions-State and Local

Subdivisions").