KRS 154.15-020: Kentucky Communications Network Authority -- Duties -- Personnel --

Powers.

(1) The Kentucky Communications Network Authority is established and shall be

attached to the Finance and Administration Cabinet for administrative purposes.

(2) The duties of the authority shall be to:

(a) Oversee and maintain KentuckyWired, the Commonwealth's open -access

broadband network;

(b) Manage the master agreement establishing the public -private partnership

between the Commonwealth and its private industry part ner or partners. The

purpose of the agreement is to design, engineer, build, operate, maintain, and

upgrade the network;

(c) Provide network connectivity to public agencies;

(d) Offer access to entities eligible to utilize excess capacity on the network;

(e) Manage other aspects of the network and its utilization with oversight and

input from the board established in KRS 154.15-030;

(f) Promulgate administrative regulations in accordance with KRS Chapter 13A

necessary to implement the purposes of this subchapter;

(g) Enter into contracts with public and private entities to carry out its duties and

responsibilities. A contract or other agreement involving the acquisition or

disposition of a property interest by the Commonwealth shall be signed by the

secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet. KRS Chapters 45A and

56 may require the secretary's signature on other contracts or agreements;

(h) Provide program management services ensuring the financial viability of the

master agreement and related contra cts and agreements, including grant

administration, contract compliance and oversight, community planning

support, and constituent services; and

(i) Seek out, secure, and manage funding sources for the network.

(3) The executive director of the Commonwealth Office of Technology established in

KRS 42.724 shall assign personnel employed with the Commonwealth Office of

Technology to carry out the functions and responsibilities of the authority.

(4) (a) With the approval of the board, the executive director of the Commonwealth

Office of Technology may make, execute, and effectuate contracts, leveraging

future revenues from provision of government -to-government services and

sale or lease of excess capacity, to incur debt in the name of the authority and

enter into financing agreements with the Commonwealth, agencies of the

Commonwealth, lending institutions, investors, or investing entities.

(b) The total amo unt of debt or financing under this subsection shall not exceed

one hundred ten million dollars ($110,000,000), and shall not leverage any

future revenues committed to the repayment of any other debt, or expected to

be used for the repayment of any other d ebt, as of the time the debt or

financing is entered into.

(c) Any proposed debt or financing under this subsection shall be submitted to the

Capital Projects and Bond Oversight Committee for review at least fourteen

(14) days prior to the committee meeting.

(d) If any debt or financing is incurred under this subsection, the authority shall

provide to the Legislative Research Commission:

1. Within thirty (30) days of entering into a debt or financing agreement, a

copy of the agreement; and

2. On January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1 of each year that the debt

or financing is outstanding:

a. The amount of principal and interest remaining on the debt or

financing;

b. The use to which the capital gained from the debt or financing has

been put; and

c. Any a mendments, if any, to the original debt or financing

instruments or agreements.