(a) The Commissioner of Administrative Services shall assign office space and provide necessary accommodations in state-owned facilities for state agencies, other than institutions, the Legislative Branch and the Judicial Branch. Subject to the provisions of § 4b-23, the commissioner shall execute all leases for offices or any other type of space or facility necessary to meet the needs of all state agencies, the Judicial Branch, the Division of Criminal Justice, the Public Defender Services Commission and institutions. Any provisions of the general statutes to the contrary notwithstanding, the Commissioner of Administrative Services shall be the sole authority for negotiating such leases, provided any such leases, intending to provide for the needs of institutions, shall further be subject to the approval of the board of trustees of the institution involved and provided further, the Commissioner of Administrative Services shall expedite the handling of leases to meet emergency and short term needs. Subject to the provisions of § 4b-23, the commissioner may delegate authority to the Chief Court Administrator to negotiate and enter into leases for office, court or parking facilities for the Judicial Branch when the commissioner deems such delegation to be appropriate and such leases will be consistent with relevant real estate and contracting laws. For the purposes of this section, the term “Judicial Branch” does not include the courts of probate, the Division of Criminal Justice and the Public Defender Services Commission, except where they share facilities in state-maintained courts.

(b) The Commissioner of Administrative Services shall have the primary responsibility for ensuring that the lessor of the offices, space or other facilities which are covered by each such lease complies with the provisions of the lease. In carrying out such responsibility, the commissioner shall inspect such offices, space and other facilities at least once annually.