1. (a) The powers of the authority under this chapter include all those necessary to carry out and effectuate the purposes of this chapter, including the following:

   1. (1) To invest any money of the authority at the authority's discretion, in any obligations determined proper by the authority, and name and use depositories for the authority's money.
   2. (2) To receive and distribute state or local funding, including grants, loans, and appropriations.
   3. (3) To make loans or grants to broadband developers and broadband operators that will acquire, construct, maintain, and operate all or part of the broadband infrastructure serving underserved areas.
   4. (4) To provide operating assistance to make broadband services more affordable to broadband developers, broadband operators, and broadband customers in underserved areas, in conjunction with broadband infrastructure financed by the authority.
   5. (5) To set construction, operation, and financing standards for the broadband infrastructure in connection with authority financing and to provide for inspections to determine compliance with those standards.
   6. (6) To investigate, evaluate, and assess the current broadband infrastructure and the future broadband infrastructure needs of Indiana and to encourage and participate in aggregation strategies for the broadband services of all public entities and nonprofit corporations in Indiana to maximize the interconnectivity and efficiencies of the broadband infrastructure.
   7. (7) To make expenditures necessary to carry out the authority's duties under this chapter, including paying the authority's operating expenses.
2. (b) As part of an application for financing under this chapter, a broadband developer or broadband operator must file with the authority a participation plan for small and minority owned businesses and a communitywide outreach plan to educate the public with respect to the availability of broadband services. The authority may not approve an application unless a plan is submitted under this subsection.

As added by P.L.235-2005, SEC.105.