A. The state purchasing agent shall develop guidelines for central purchasing offices to use electronic media, including distribution of solicitations and acceptance of sealed bids and competitive sealed proposals that include electronic signatures. The guidelines shall include:

(1)     appropriate security to prevent unauthorized access to electronically submitted bids or proposals prior to the date and time set for opening of bids or the deadline set for receipt for proposals, including the electronic bidding, approval and award process; and

(2)     accurate retrieval or conversion of electronic forms of information into a medium that permits inspection and copying.

B. A central purchasing office, in an invitation for bids or a request for proposals, may require all or any part of a sealed bid or a competitive sealed proposal to be submitted electronically if the office determines that an electronic submission will be advantageous to the procurement process. If electronic submission is required:

(1)     no hard copy documentation shall be submitted to the central purchasing office prior to the award of the contract, except as specifically identified in the invitation for bids or the request for proposals;

(2)     the invitation for bids or request for proposals shall specify an opening date and time, a fixed closing date and time and an email account or other secure electronic location to which the electronic bid or proposal shall be submitted;

(3)     sealed bids submitted electronically shall be opened publicly in the presence of one or more witnesses at the time and place designated in the invitation for bids. The amount of each bid and each bid item, if appropriate, and such other relevant information as may be specified by the state purchasing agent or a central purchasing office, together with the name of each bidder, shall be recorded, and the record and each bid shall be open to public inspection; and

(4)     for sealed proposals, the proposals shall be opened, evaluated and the contract awarded as required in the request for proposals and as otherwise provided in the Procurement Code.