SECTION 64A. Printing and sale of reports of decisions of supreme judicial and appeals courts; advertisement for bids; award and execution of contracts; performance bond

The reporter shall from time to time advertise for bids for the execution of the printing and binding, and provide for the sale to the public at such price as he may fix, of the reports of decisions of the supreme judicial court and the appeals court and of reprints of volumes thereof previously published. Such contracts for printing and binding and for sale to the public shall cover such volumes as the reporter shall determine. The reporter shall take into consideration the circumstances and facilities of the several bidders for such contracts as well as the terms offered; may reject any bids received; shall award the contracts to such bidders as in his judgment the interests of the commonwealth may require; and shall execute the contracts in the name and behalf of the commonwealth. The reporter may from time to time negotiate for, and execute in the name and behalf of the commonwealth, contracts for the printing and sale to the public during such periods of time and at such prices as he may fix, of advance copies of opinions of said courts filed with him. Contracts under this section may be awarded by the reporter singly or in a group or groups. A surety company bond, or securities satisfactory to the reporter, in an amount fixed by him, which shall not be less than ten thousand dollars, shall be furnished by anyone to whom any single contract or group of contracts is awarded under authority of this section, to secure faithful performance thereof.