(1) A state purchasing card program shall be created. The State Treasurer and the Director of Administrative Services shall determine the type of purchasing card or cards utilized in the state purchasing card program. The State Treasurer shall contract with one or more financial institutions, card-issuing banks, credit card companies, charge card companies, debit card companies, or third-party merchant banks capable of operating the state purchasing card program on behalf of the state and those political subdivisions that participate in the state contract for such services. After the state purchasing card program has been in existence for two years, a joint report issued from the State Treasurer and the director shall be submitted to the Legislature and the Governor not later than January 1, 2001. The report shall include, but not be limited to, the utilization, costs, and benefits of the program. The state purchasing card program shall be administered by the Department of Administrative Services. The department may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations as needed for the implementation of the state purchasing card program. The department may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations providing authorization instructions for all transactions. Expenses associated with the state purchasing card program shall be considered, for purposes of this section, as an administrative or operational expense.

(2) Any state official, state agency, or political subdivision may utilize the state purchasing card program for the purchase of goods and services for and on behalf of the State of Nebraska.

(3) Vendors accepting the state's purchasing card shall obtain authorization for all transactions in accordance with the department's authorization instructions. Authorization shall be from the financial institution, card-issuing bank, credit card company, charge card company, debit card company, or third-party merchant bank contracted to provide such service to the State of Nebraska. Each transaction shall be authorized in accordance with the instructions provided by the department for each state official, state agency, or political subdivision.

(4) An itemized receipt for purposes of tracking expenditures shall accompany all state purchasing card purchases. In the event that an itemized receipt does not accompany such a purchase, the Department of Administrative Services shall have the authority to temporarily or permanently suspend state purchasing card purchases in accordance with rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the department.

(5) Upon the termination or suspension of employment of an individual using a state purchasing card, such individual's state purchasing card account shall be immediately closed and he or she shall return the state purchasing card to the department or agency from which it was obtained.

(6) No officer or employee of the state shall use a state purchasing card for any unauthorized use as determined by the department by rule and regulation.