Section 3. Powers and duties of commissioner

1. The commissioner of general
  services  shall  have  general  supervision  over  the  letting  of  all
  contracts for public printing provided to be made herein.  In  addition,
  the  commissioner  shall  exercise  such further supervision and control
  over all contracts for department printing as herein defined that he has
  heretofore exercised or may hereafter deem  appropriate  including,  but
  not  limited to, the establishment of standard sizes and grades of paper
  and   specifications   for   paper;   provided,   however,   that   such
  specifications shall be in accordance with those established pursuant to
  section one hundred sixty-four of the state finance law.
    2.  The commissioner may appoint an expert printer and such assistants
  and employees as shall be  authorized  by  appropriations  made  by  the
  legislature  therefor, and such employees shall receive such salaries as
  shall be fixed by the legislature in such appropriation.
    3. It shall be the duty of said commissioner, in accordance with rules
  and  regulations  to  be  prescribed  by  him,  to  let  to  the  lowest
  responsible  bidder,  as  hereinafter provided, and as will best promote
  the public  interest,  all  contracts  for  the  work  embraced  in  the
  legislative  printing and department printing as those terms are in this
  chapter  defined,  except  printing  done  pursuant  to   law   in   the
  correctional  facilities  of  the  state,  in  the  state charitable and
  benevolent institutions for the benefit of such institutions, or by  the
  board  or  commission  having  fiscal  control of such institutions, the
  printing of  examination  question  papers  or  printing  done  for  the
  education  department or the schools under its jurisdiction in the rooms
  of the university of the  state  of  New  York  by  its  employees,  the
  stationery  used  by the legislature, briefs and cases on appeal and the
  bulletins issued by the Geneva  and  Ithaca  experimental  stations.  No
  contract  for  department  printing shall be let to a bidder who, in the
  opinion of the commissioner, does not have satisfactory  facilities  and
  equipment which are ample and sufficient to insure proper performance of
  the  contract  or  who has failed to give adequate security in an amount
  which may be required by the commissioner.  Provided  further,  however,
  that  no  contract  shall  be  let  to  a  bidder  other than the lowest
  responsible bidder without the written approval of the comptroller.
    4. The said commissioner shall adopt and promulgate appropriate  rules
  and  regulations  touching the manner of the performance of his work and
  prescribing the form and  manner  of  advertisement  for  bids  and  all
  requisitions  made  upon him for printing, except that said commissioner
  shall make no rule or regulation inconsistent with or  in  violation  of
  the provisions of this chapter.
    5. Notwithstanding any of the foregoing provisions of this section, or
  of  any  general  or  special  act,  the  commissioner  may contract for
  printing to  an  amount  not  exceeding  ten  thousand  dollars  without
  competitive  bidding,  and  may  by  rule  prescribing  the  amount, not
  exceeding five thousand dollars, authorize other state  departments  and
  agencies  to  let  contracts,  without competitive bidding, for printing
  required by them. Such rule shall prescribe the form, manner and content
  of  the  notice  to  be  given  to  prospective  vendors,  the  form  of
  specifications  and  proposals for such printing, and the method used in
  making an award, except that as such specifications relate to the  paper
  required for printing they shall be in accordance with those established
  pursuant to section one hundred sixty-four of the state finance law.
    Multiple  purchases  of  identical  items  of  printing  and  printing
  supplies, made by such other department or  agency  without  competitive
  bidding  within a period of sixty days, shall not exceed the sum of five
  thousand dollars.