[§103F-203]  Collaboration ofproviders.  Provider participation in a state agency's efforts to plan orpurchase health or human services, prior to the agency's release of a requestfor proposal under section 103F-402, including the sharing of information oncommunity needs, best practices, and providers' resources, shall be encouraged,and, as determined by rules, shall not disqualify providers from submittingresponses to requests for proposals. [L 1997, c 190, pt of §2]