(1) The fund board shall select vendors for Michigan promotion program expenditures under this chapter exceeding $250,000.00 by issuing a request for proposal. At a minimum, the request for proposal shall require the responding entities to disclose any conflict of interest, disclose any criminal convictions, disclose any investigations by the internal revenue service or any other federal or state taxing body or court, disclose any pertinent litigation regarding the conduct of the entity, and maintain records and evidence pertaining to work performed for at least 5 years. The fund board shall establish a standard process to evaluate proposals submitted as a result of a request for proposal and appoint a committee to review the proposals. Members of any committee or individuals working on behalf of the Michigan strategic fund, paid or unpaid, shall have no conflict of interest as determined by the office of the chief compliance officer established in section 88i. This subsection does not apply to a contract that was in existence on March 25, 2008 or to the extension of a contract in which the right to extend was in existence on or before March 25, 2008.

    (2) No funds may be used for any Michigan promotion program effort that includes a reference to or the image or voice of an elected official, appointed state employee, state employee governed by a senior executive service limited term employment agreement, or a candidate for elective office, and that is targeted to a media market in this state.