{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-45a.605","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 45A.605","heading":"Finance  and  Administration Cabinet's authority to enter into","body":"contracts for \"information highway\" for state agencies -- Mandatory use --\nExceptions  -- Status as a state agency  price contract -- Access  to\ncontract  by  certain nonprofit schools, nonprofit organizations, and\neconomic  development entities.\n(1) As used in this section:\n(a) \"Information highway\" means  a communication network for voice, data,\nand video communications technologies; and\n(b) \"Agencies of the Commonwealth  of Kentucky\" includes all authorities;\nboards; commissions; councils; departments; program  cabinets; the\nKentucky Lottery Corporation; vocational schools; the Kentucky School\nfor the Deaf; the Kentucky School for the Blind; upon written request of\nthe Chief Justice, the Court of Justice; upon written request of the\nco-chairmen of the Legislative Research  Commission,  the General\nAssembly  and the Legislative Research Commission; and upon written\nrequest of presidents, state institutions of higher education.\n(2) The  provisions of any  other law  notwithstanding, the  Finance  and\nAdministration Cabinet may enter into one (1) or more contracts, on behalf of\nagencies of the Commonwealth  of Kentucky, with any person, partnership, or\ncorporation that operates an information highway. The information highway\nshall  enable  the  Commonwealth  to  benefit  from  cost-effective\ntelecommunications technologies and shall provide opportunities for the private\nsector. These  opportunities shall include but not be  limited to the\nimplementation of transactions and activities associated with the provision of\ntelehealth by licensed health-care providers as provided in KRS  Chapters 205,\n211, 304.17A, 310, 311, 312, 313, 314, 314A, 315, 319, 319A, 320, 327, 334A,\nand 335.\n(3) Upon  implementation, all agencies of the Commonwealth  of Kentucky shall\nobtain all available communications services under  contracts executed\npursuant to subsection (2) of this section, except as provided under subsection\n(4) of this section.\n(4) The secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet may grant exceptions\nto the mandatory use of the information highway upon good cause shown.\n(5) Any contract awarded under subsection (2) of this section shall be deemed, for\npurposes of KRS  45A.050, a state agency price contract to which all political\nsubdivisions and state-licensed nonprofit institutions of higher education may\nhave access and use on the same terms as agencies of the Commonwealth  of\nKentucky. In addition, nonprofit schools providing elementary or secondary\neducation and nonprofit health care organizations shall be allowed to have\naccess  and  use  the contract on  the same  terms as agencies of the\nCommonwealth  of Kentucky. \"Nonprofit schools\" and \"nonprofit health care\norganizations\" mean  those schools and health care organizations which have\nbeen  granted tax-exempt status under the United States Internal Revenue\nCode.\n(6) Any contract awarded under subsection (2) of this section shall be deemed  a\nstate agency price contract to which any entity that has been approved for\neconomic development incentives under programs approved and administered\nby the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority may have access\nand use on the same terms as agencies of the Commonwealth  of Kentucky.\n(7) Any contract awarded under subsection (2) of this section shall be deemed  a\nstate agency price contract to which nonprofit organizations whose exclusive\npurpose  is the  delivery of services related to education, economic\ndevelopment, or cultural arts and humanities, may have access and use on the\nsame  terms as agencies of the Commonwealth  of Kentucky. For the purposes\nof this section, \"nonprofit organizations\" means those organizations which have\nbeen  granted tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States\nInternal Revenue  Code  or those existing education based entities whose\npurpose is the delivery of services to state school systems, their employees, or\ntheir governing organizations and which have been granted tax-exempt status\nunder Section 501(c)(6) of the United States Internal Revenue Code.","path":["KRS Chapter 45A"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=46295","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:49:07Z","sha256":"cf6a0a6a33af5f616c7d285942a5e51a336f69f88910870d5fdfba31bbbc50cc","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-45a.600","next":"us-ky/krs-45a.607"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}