Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 3, September 1, 2024
RELATES TO: KRS 11A.010, 11A.045, 11A.055
NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 11A.110(3) authorizes
the Executive Branch Ethics Commission to promulgate administrative regulations
to implement KRS Chapter 11A. KRS 11A.055 authorizes state agencies or public
servants to solicit and accept donations for charitable nonprofit organizations
or for programs for crime prevention, drug and alcohol abuse prevention, or
traffic safety. This administrative regulation establishes requirements
relating to those fundraising activities and provides guidance related to the
creation of charitable nonprofit organizations ensuring compliance with KRS 11A.045.
Section 1. Definitions.
(1) "Affiliated" means a charitable nonprofit
organization that:
(a)
1. Engages in activities for the benefit of
an agency; or
2. Furthers the
statutory or regulatory mandates of the agency through the use of contributions
solicited from the public; and
(b) Is not established, created, or
controlled by the agency.
(2) "Agency" is defined by KRS 11A.010(10).
(3) "Charitable
nonprofit organization" means an entity or corporation:
(a) Described in 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3);
(b) Granted tax exempt
status under 26 U.S.C. 501(a); and
(c) That accepts charitable
contributions.
(4)
"Commission" is defined by KRS 11A.010(2).
(5) "Controlled" means that an agency or a
public servant maintains control of a charitable nonprofit organization if at
least one (1) of the following apply:
(a)
Public servants of the agency serve as a majority of the officers for or
represent a majority of the voting members of the governing board of the
charitable nonprofit organization;
(b) The agency or the public servant selects,
elects, appoints, or removes a majority of the officers or voting members of
the governing board of the charitable nonprofit organization or a portion
thereof;
(c) The agency provides on
an ongoing basis staff, resources, or office space with no recompense from the
charitable nonprofit organization to the agency unless otherwise authorized by
statute or the staff, resources, or office space are provided pursuant to an
agreement made in accordance with the provisions of KRS Chapter 45A;
or
(d) The public servant directs
the use of the funds of the charitable nonprofit organization or has signatory
authority of the charitable nonprofit organization's accounts.
(6) "Created" means an agency or a
public servant has filed articles of incorporation with the office of the
Secretary of State to form the charitable nonprofit organization.
(7) "Established" means an agency or a public
servant:
(a) Files documentation with the
Internal Revenue Service to create the charitable nonprofit organization
pursuant 26 U.S.C. 501(c); or
(b)
Drafts bylaws or other governing documents under which a charitable nonprofit
organization operates.
(8) "Public servant" is defined by KRS 11A.010(9).
(9) "Recompense" means
payment by a charitable nonprofit organization to an agency either through
monetary compensation or non-monetary consideration given in exchange for the
value of rental or use of state-owned facilities, agency personnel, goods,
resources, or services.
Section
2. For the purposes of this administrative regulation, A public
servant shall be limited to an individual who is acting on behalf of a state
agency in the course and scope of his or her state employment, unless otherwise
authorized by statute.
Section 3.
Category I.
(1) A charitable nonprofit
organization controlled by an agency shall constitute a part of that
agency.
(2) A charitable nonprofit
organization under subsection (1) of this section shall be subject to the
Executive Branch Code of Ethics, pursuant to KRS Chapter 11A.
(3) To ensure compliance with KRS 11A.045, a
charitable nonprofit organization under subsection (1) of this section shall
not accept confidential contributions.
(4) Public servants of an agency shall not
solicit contributions to the charitable nonprofit organization under subsection
(1) of this section if the agency is prohibited from accepting these
contributions under KRS 11A.045.
Section 4. Category II.
(1) A Category II charitable nonprofit
organization shall be an entity that is created or established, but not
controlled, by an agency.
(2) A
Category II charitable nonprofit organization may support similar goals of the
agency and shall not be subject to the provisions of Section 3 of this
administrative regulation if it does not provide funding directly or indirectly
to the agency unless otherwise authorized by statute.
Section 5. Category III.
(1) A Category III charitable nonprofit
organization shall be an entity that is not created, established, or controlled
by an agency, but may be affiliated with an agency.
(2) A Category III charitable nonprofit
organization shall not be subject to the provisions of Section 3 of this
administrative regulation.
Section
6.
(1) Pursuant to KRS 11A.055,
all funds raised by an agency or a public servant on behalf of a Category II or
III charitable nonprofit organization shall be delivered to the charitable
nonprofit organization or other statutorily authorized program. An agency
involved in the fundraising effort shall not retain any funds.
(2) An agency or public servant shall not
enter into a contract with an entity to raise funds for a Category II or III
charitable nonprofit organization or program pursuant to KRS 11A.055 if the
contract provides that the agency shall:
(a)
Be paid out of the funds raised;
(b) Receive a commission based on funds
raised; or
(c) Receive any portion
of the funds to be delivered to the charitable organization or
program.
(3) Except as
provided in Section 7 of this administrative regulation, an agency may assign
or permit a public servant to work on behalf of a Category II or III charitable
nonprofit organization if:
(a) The public
servant does not devote more than 100 hours per calendar year working on behalf
of a Category II or III charitable nonprofit organization unless otherwise
authorized by statute; and
(b) The
agency determines in writing that these working hours are necessary to fulfill
the statutory, regulatory, or programmatic mandates of the agency.
Section 7. An agency
may devote state time and resources to any category charitable nonprofit
organization without recompense from the charitable nonprofit organization if:
(1) These activities are conducted for a
cooperatively sponsored event; and
(2) The event is conducted to further the
statutory, regulatory, or programmatic mandates of the agency.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 11A.055,
11A.110(3)