The Department of Adult Blind and Deaf of the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind established pursuant to Section 21-1-15, in addition to all other powers and duties now encumbered upon it, is authorized:

(1) To maintain and develop workshops for training and employing blind, visually handicapped, deaf and other severely handicapped persons.

(2) To develop, cooperate with and supervise similar shops in other localities in Alabama.

(3) To aid blind, visually handicapped, deaf and severely handicapped persons in securing employment, in developing home industries and in marketing their products.

(4) To act as the agent or salesman of workshops or other nonprofit agencies employing blind, visually handicapped, deaf and other severely handicapped persons in the state under the supervision of such department in the marketing of their products and services. In order to carry out the duties hereby imposed, the Department of Adult Blind and Deaf shall issue a descriptive catalogue showing in detail such articles as are, or may be, produced under its supervision, and shall furnish copies thereof to all purchasing agents for any state department, agency or institution and to the purchasing agents of the political subdivisions of the state and to other parties who may be interested. Upon receipt of requisitions for goods or services from the purchasing agents of the various state departments, agencies and institutions or the purchasing agents of the political subdivisions of the state or other parties, the department shall distribute such orders among workshops and other nonprofit agencies under its supervision. The department shall keep accurate records showing the receipts from the sale of such products and services and all disbursements therefrom.

Whenever any of the products made or manufactured by the blind, visually handicapped, deaf or other severely handicapped persons under the direction or supervision of the department of adult blind and deaf of the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind meet the requirements of any department, institution or agency supported in whole or in part by the state as to quality and quantity, such products shall have preference, except over articles produced or manufactured by convicts in Alabama employed in industries operated or supervised by the board of corrections, and all departments, institutions and agencies supported in whole or in part by the state are hereby directed to purchase such articles from the Department of Adult Blind and Deaf. All political subdivisions of the state are authorized to purchase articles made or manufactured by the blind, visually handicapped, deaf or severely handicapped through the department in the same manner that the state and its agencies and institutions purchase them. A fair market price for all articles offered for sale pursuant to this chapter shall be determined by the board created in Section 21-2-3.

The Director of Finance, the Attorney General and the president of the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind are hereby constituted a board to fix a fair market price for all articles offered for sale under authority of this chapter, to determine whether or not articles produced by blind, visually handicapped, deaf or other severely handicapped persons meet the reasonable requirements of state departments, agencies and institutions and to authorize state departments, agencies and institutions to purchase articles elsewhere when requisitions cannot be complied with through the Department of Adult Blind and Deaf. No department, institution or agency shall be allowed to evade the intent and meaning of this chapter by slight variations from standards adopted by the Department of Adult Blind and Deaf of the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind when the articles produced or manufactured by it, in accordance with its standards, are reasonably adapted to the actual needs of such departments, institutions, agencies or political subdivisions.

No voucher, certificate or warrant issued by any state department, institution or agency shall be questioned by the State Comptroller or by the State Treasurer on the grounds that Section 21-2-3 has not been complied with by such department, institution, or agency; but if intentional violation of Section 21-2-3 by any department, institution or agency continues, after notice from the Governor to desist, it shall constitute a malfeasance in office and shall subject the officer or officers or agents responsible for this violation to suspension or removal from office as may be provided by law in other cases of malfeasance.