(1) When the department is seeking a contractor to provide a work/training release program, the secretary will appoint a search committee which shall conduct a search in the manner it deems appropriate to identify potential contractors who would be qualified to develop and provide a work/training release program conforming with applicable regulations, standards, and procedures adopted by the department. The search committee shall also obtain such information as is necessary to evaluate the qualifications and reliability of the potential contractors, the scope of the proposed programs and the cost of such programs.

(2) The names of the potential contractors determined by the search committee, information gathered during the search, the search committee's ranking of the potential contractors, and the search committee's recommendations shall be submitted to the secretary.

(3) The secretary, based on the information, rankings, and recommendations so submitted by the search committee, may approve one of the potential contractors as the provider of the work/training release program.