(a)

1. (1) In choosing whom to apply with and how to rank projects, public officials representing municipalities, unincorporated communities, and counties shall prioritize a reasonable conception of the public interest of those communities over any private interests they might have in the ISPs.

2. (2) They shall:

   1. (A) Disclose all ownership, family ties, campaign contributions, or other substantial ties they may have to the ISPs applying for grants that might be suspected of biasing them in favor of one (1) ISP over others; and
   2. (B) Not coapply with an ISP on behalf of a community if their private interest in that ISP is substantial.

(b)

1. (1) Public officials coapplying for ARC grants shall provide a narrative explanation of less than one thousand (1,000) words about how they developed the application, emphasizing efforts to make the process:

   1. (A) Transparent;
   2. (B) Competitive; and
   3. (C) In the public interest.
2. (2) This narrative shall be submitted with the application.