§ 3712. State agency for surplus property. The commissioner of education, or such other state officer as may, from time to time, be designated by the governor, shall be the state agency for surplus property and is hereby authorized and empowered (1) to acquire from the United States of America under and in conformance with the provisions of section two hundred three (j) of the federal property and administrative services act of nineteen hundred forty-nine as amended, such property including equipment, materials, books, or other supplies under the control of any department or agency of the United States of America as may be usable and necessary for purposes of education, public health or civil defense, including research for any such purpose, and for such other purposes as may now or hereafter be authorized by federal law; (2) to warehouse such property; and (3) to distribute such property within the state to tax-supported medical institutions, hospitals, clinics, health centers, school systems, schools, colleges, and universities within the state, to other nonprofit medical institutions, hospitals, clinics, health centers, schools, colleges and universities which are exempt from taxation under section five hundred one (c) (3) of the United States internal revenue code of nineteen hundred fifty-four, to civil defense organizations of the state, or political subdivisions and instrumentalities thereof, which are established pursuant to state law, and to such other types of institutions or activities as may now be or hereafter become eligible under federal law to acquire such property. The commissioner of education, or such other state officer as may be designated by the governor, is hereby authorized to appoint advisory board or committees and to do any and all acts necessary to carry out the foregoing duties of such agency for surplus property in accordance with such federal property and administrative services act of nineteen hundred forty-nine as amended and the rules and regulations of any of the departments or agencies of the United States of America duly adopted in accordance therewith.