66-2010. KUSF administrator; duties and powers; KAN-ED funding. (a) The commission shall utilize a competitive bidding process to select a neutral, competent and bonded third party to administer the KUSF.

(b) The administrator shall be responsible for: (1) Collecting and auditing all relevant information from all qualifying telecommunications public utilities, telecommunications carriers or wireless telecommunications service providers receiving funds from or providing funds to the KUSF; (2) verifying, based on the calculations of each qualifying telecommunications carrier, telecommunications public utility or wireless telecommunications service provider, the obligation of each such qualifying carrier, utility or provider to generate the funds required by the KUSF; (3) collecting all moneys due to the KUSF from all telecommunications public utilities, telecommunications carriers and wireless telecommunications service providers in the state; and (4) distributing amounts on a monthly basis due to qualifying telecommunications public utilities, wireless telecommunications service providers and telecommunications carriers receiving KUSF funding.

(c) Any information made available or received by the administrator from carriers, utilities or providers receiving funds from or providing funds to the KUSF shall not be subject to any provisions of the Kansas open records act and shall be considered confidential and proprietary.

(d) The administrator shall be authorized to maintain an action to collect any funds owed by any telecommunications carrier, public utility or wireless telecommunications provider in the district court in the county of the registered office of such carrier, utility or provider or, if such carrier, utility or provider does not have a registered office in the state, such an action may be maintained in the county where such carrier's, utility's or provider's principal office is located. If such carrier, utility or provider has no principal office in the state, such an action may be maintained in the district court of any county in which such carrier, utility or provider provides service.

(e) (1) The KUSF administrator shall be responsible to ensure that funds do not fall below the level necessary to pay all amounts collectively owed to all qualifying telecommunications public utilities, wireless telecommunications service providers and telecommunications carriers. The administrator shall have the authority to retain and invest in a prudent and reasonable manner any excess funds collected in any period to help ensure that adequate funds are available to cover amounts payable in other periods.

(2) Subject to the provisions of appropriations acts, for fiscal year 2013, the KUSF administrator may transfer moneys from the KUSF to the state treasurer. Upon the receipt of any payment, the state treasurer shall deposit the entire amount in the state treasury and credit it to the KAN-ED fund. Any such payments shall be made after all payments required by K.S.A. 66-2008, and amendments thereto, for the month are made from the KUSF.

History: L. 1996, ch. 268, § 11; L. 2002, ch. 152, § 1; L. 2005, ch. 192, § 1; L. 2012, ch. 173, § 1; June 7.