(1) In addition to any other powers granted to the authority in this article, the authority shall have the following powers:
To have the duties, privileges, immunities, rights, liabilities, and disabilities of abody corporate and political subdivision of the state;
To have perpetual existence and succession;
To adopt, have, and use a seal and to alter the same at its pleasure;
To sue and be sued;
To enter into any contract or agreement not inconsistent with this article or the lawsof this state and to authorize the executive director to enter into contracts, execute all instruments, and do all things necessary or convenient in the exercise of the powers granted in this article and to secure the payment of bonds;
To borrow money and to issue bonds evidencing the same;
To purchase, lease, trade, exchange, or otherwise acquire, maintain, hold, improve,mortgage, lease, sell, and dispose of personal property, whether tangible or intangible, or any interest therein; and to purchase, lease, trade, exchange, or otherwise acquire real property or any interest therein and to maintain, hold, improve, mortgage, lease, or otherwise transfer such real property, so long as such transactions do not interfere with the mission of the authority as specified in section 24-37.7-105;
To acquire space, equipment, services, supplies, and insurance necessary to carry outthe purposes of this article;
To deposit any moneys of the authority in any banking institution within the state orin any depository authorized in section 24-75-603, and to appoint, for the purpose of making such deposits, one or more persons to act as custodians of the moneys of the authority, who shall give surety bonds in such amounts and form and for such purposes as the board of directors requires;
To contract for and to accept any gifts, grants, or loans of funds, property, or anyother aid in any form from the federal government, the state, any state agency, or any other source, or any combination thereof, and to comply, subject to the provisions of this article, with the terms and conditions thereof;
To have and exercise all rights and powers necessary or incidental to or implied fromthe specific powers granted in this article, which specific powers shall not be considered as a limitation upon any power necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes and intent of this article;
To fix the time and place or places at which its regular and special meetings are to beheld. Meetings shall be held on the call of the presiding officer, but no less than six meetings shall be held annually.
To adopt and from time to time amend or repeal bylaws and rules and regulationsconsistent with the provisions of this article; except that article 4 of this title shall not apply to the promulgation of any policies, procedures, rules, or regulations of the authority;
To appoint a treasurer of the board and such other officers as the board of directorsmay determine and provide for their duties and terms of office;
To appoint an executive director and such agents, employees, and professional andbusiness advisers as may from time to time be necessary in its judgment to accomplish the purposes of this article, to fix the compensation of such executive director, employees, agents, and advisers, and to establish the powers and duties of all such agents, employees, and other persons contracting with the authority;
To waive, by such means as the authority deems appropriate, the exemption fromfederal income taxation of interest on the authority's bonds, notes, or other obligations provided by the federal "Internal Revenue Code of 1986", as amended, or any other federal statute providing a similar exemption;
To make and execute agreements, contracts, or other instruments necessary or convenient to the exercise of the powers and functions of the authority under this article, including but not limited to contracts with any person, firm, corporation, state agency, local government, or other entity. All state agencies and local governments are hereby authorized to enter into and do all things necessary to perform any such arrangement or contract with the authority.
To arrange for guaranties or insurance of its bonds, notes, or other obligations by thefederal government or by any private insurer, and to pay any premiums therefor.
The authority shall not enter into a contract with a statewide portal integrator unlessthe statewide portal integrator was chosen by the authority pursuant to a request for proposals issued by the authority.
Any current or pending action by the office of information technology relating to arequest for proposals for the statewide internet portal shall be void.
State agencies shall coordinate and cooperate with the authority for purposes of thedelivery of electronic information, products, and services by the authority.
Source: L. 2004: Entire article added, p. 1666, § 1, effective June 3. L. 2006: (3) amended and (4) added, p. 1733, § 12, effective June 6.