75-1267. Acquisition and maintenance of copies of project documents; project claims referred to secretary of administration; resolution of claims; referrals to attorney general; annual report; access to documents relating to correctional facilities and other secured areas. (a) The secretary of administration shall obtain and maintain copies of all drawings, specifications, contracts, change orders, field orders, warranties and other documents relating to all capital improvement projects for the construction of buildings or for major repairs or improvements to buildings for state agencies. It is the responsibility of the secretary of administration to prepare all of the necessary documentation to support claims by the state against any project architect, engineer, land surveyor, contractor, manufacturer, supplier or other person regarding any such capital improvement project.

(b) It is the responsibility of each state agency for which such a capital improvement project was completed to initially refer all claims on behalf of the state arising from the project to the secretary of administration. The secretary of administration shall attempt to attain an informal or formal resolution of all such claims in a manner satisfactory to the interests of the state. Failing such a resolution, the secretary of administration shall refer and the state agency for which the project was completed may refer all such claims to the attorney general for action. Written notice of each such referral to the attorney general shall be given to the governor by the secretary of administration and the state agency making such referral. Upon each such referral, the attorney general shall institute and prosecute all appropriate legal proceedings regarding such claims.

(c) On or before November 15 each year, the secretary of administration shall report to the joint committee on state building construction as to the nature and status of all claims made on behalf of the state arising from state projects for the construction of buildings or major repairs or improvements to buildings which are referred to or acted on by the secretary of administration under this section, and shall include in such report any recommendations deemed appropriate by the secretary of administration.

(d) No document required to be kept and maintained under this section which relates to any correctional institution, as defined by K.S.A. 75-5202, and amendments thereto, or any other facility under the jurisdiction and control of the secretary of corrections or to any secured area or other area where public access is limited, shall be open for public inspection or reproduction under K.S.A. 45-201 and 45-202, and amendments thereto. The secretary of administration may limit reproduction of any other documents required to be kept and maintained under this section which may be used for commercial or similar purposes to the extent deemed appropriate by the secretary in the best interests of the state, except that there shall be no limitation on the reproduction of documents pertaining to buildings on the state or national register of historic places unless inspection of any such document is prohibited by the terms of the preceding sentence.

History: L. 1978, ch. 337, § 26; L. 1983, ch. 297, § 1; L. 2008, ch. 130, § 15; July 1.