20-13-5. Functions; responsibilities.

The Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission is declared to be a public charitable organization created, designed, and intended for the purpose of providing educational, instructional, and public broadcasting services to the citizens of the State of Georgia and making available those services to the citizens of the several states as deemed necessary and feasible.#

The commission is authorized to accept and utilize gifts, contributions of money, property, facilities, services, donations, bequests, and appropriations from the State of Georgia or any agency, instrumentality, or political subdivision thereof; or from any individual or corporation; or from the United States of America or any agency or instrumentality thereof.#

Subject to appropriations by the General Assembly, the commission will provide for the public broadcasting and other transmission of educational, instructional, and continuing educational programs and telecourses to the various schools and citizens of the State of Georgia.#

Upon the submission of its budget request in accordance with the budget submission provisions of Part 1 of Article 4 of Chapter 12 of Title 45, the “Budget Act,” the commission may receive each year a grant appropriated to the board of regents for commission personnel and operating expenses. The commission shall submit a budget request consistent with the process used by other state agencies and commissions. This shall be submitted as a separate budget request through the board of regents as provided for in Code Section 50-4-3.#

The members of the commission shall be accountable in all respects as trustees. The commission shall keep suitable and proper books and records of all receipts, income, and expenditures of every kind and shall submit annually to the state auditor or his designated agent for inspection all of the books together with the proper statement of the commission’s financial position at the close of its fiscal year.#

The Department of Law shall provide legal services to the commission in the same manner as legal services are provided to state departments under Article 2 of Chapter 15 of Title 45; and the provisions of Code Sections 45-15-13 through 45-15-16, relating to provision of legal services to state authorities, shall not apply with respect to provision of legal services to the commission.#