All departments, institutions, and agencies of this State that are supported in whole or in part by the State shall give preference to Correction Enterprises products in purchasing articles, products, and commodities that these departments, institutions, and agencies require and that are manufactured or produced within the State prison system and offered for sale to them by Correction Enterprises. No article or commodity available from Correction Enterprises shall be purchased by any State department, institution, or agency from any other source unless the prison product does not meet the standard specifications and the reasonable requirements of the department, institution, or agency as determined by the Secretary of Administration or the requisition cannot be complied with because of an insufficient supply of the articles or commodities required. The provisions of Article 3 of Chapter 143 of the N.C. Gen. Stat. respecting contracting for the purchase of all supplies, materials, and equipment required by the State government or any of its departments, institutions, or agencies under competitive bidding shall not apply to articles or commodities available from Correction Enterprises. The Division of Correction Enterprises of the Department of Adult Correction shall be required to keep the price of such articles or commodities substantially in accord with that paid by governmental agencies for similar articles and commodities of equivalent quality. (2007-280, s. 1; 2011-145, s. 19.1(h), (j); 2017-186, s. 2(ccccccccc); 2021-180, s. 19C.9(nnnn).)