1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; providing for an education 
  1.3             technology clearinghouse and upgrade system; 
  1.4             appropriating money; amending Laws 1995, First Special 
  1.5             Session chapter 3, article 12, section 12, subdivision 
  1.6             7; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
  1.7             chapters 121 and 124C. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [121.95] [EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY CLEARINGHOUSE 
  1.10  AND UPGRADE SYSTEM.] 
  1.11     Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT OF TECHNOLOGY 
  1.12  CLEARINGHOUSE.] Through a competitive grant process, the 
  1.13  commissioner of children, families, and learning shall establish 
  1.14  two or more education technology clearinghouses.  The purposes 
  1.15  of the clearinghouses are: 
  1.16     (1) to serve as centers where businesses or others may 
  1.17  donate new or used computers or other technology for use by 
  1.18  Minnesota public and private elementary and secondary schools 
  1.19  and to upgrade the technology so that it is useful to schools; 
  1.20     (2) to upgrade current school district technology to make 
  1.21  it more useful for educational programming; 
  1.22     (3) to inform school districts about the technology 
  1.23  available through the clearinghouse; 
  1.24     (4) to collaborate with businesses and other potential 
  1.25  donors about the types of technology needed and how to make the 
  1.26  technology available from the donors to schools through the 
  2.1   clearinghouse.  
  2.2      The clearinghouse shall retain the ability to review 
  2.3   equipment for suitability and refuse equipment that does not 
  2.4   meet district needs.  
  2.5      Subd. 2.  [SYSTEM FOR TECHNOLOGY DISTRIBUTION.] The 
  2.6   commissioner shall establish and communicate the process to be 
  2.7   used for school districts to access the clearinghouse.  Part of 
  2.8   the process shall include a provision that the business or other 
  2.9   donor may designate the district or school site where the 
  2.10  technology is to be used.  
  2.11     Subd. 3.  [REVENUE USE.] The revenue appropriated for this 
  2.12  section may be used to purchase needed technology for upgrading 
  2.13  the computers and other technology from donors, employing staff 
  2.14  at the technology clearinghouse and upgrade centers, for 
  2.15  informing districts and businesses about the program, and other 
  2.16  uses approved by the commissioner. 
  2.17     Sec. 2.  [124C.75] [COMPUTER HARDWARE AND 
  2.18  TELECOMMUNICATIONS HARDWARE GRANTS TO DISTRICTS.] 
  2.19     Subdivision 1.  [PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.] A program 
  2.20  is established to promote public and private partnership with 
  2.21  school districts for the purchase of computer hardware, network 
  2.22  hardware, and telecommunications hardware. 
  2.23     Subd. 2.  [PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION.] The commissioner of the 
  2.24  department of children, families, and learning shall establish 
  2.25  guidelines and an application process to distribute funds to 
  2.26  school districts that obtain matching funds from either a public 
  2.27  or private source for purchase of new computer, network, or 
  2.28  telecommunications hardware.  Hardware purchased under this 
  2.29  program must be used for support of classroom instruction, the 
  2.30  implementation of computer networks, or support of 
  2.31  telecommunications connectivity.  Funding for this program shall 
  2.32  be provided to school districts on the basis of a per pupil 
  2.33  formula.  School districts shall provide 40 percent of the 
  2.34  purchase costs of equipment through local funds, matching funds, 
  2.35  or both, and the department shall provide 60 percent of the 
  2.36  purchase costs through the per pupil formula.  The commissioner 
  3.1   shall establish a process to distribute any unallocated funds.  
  3.2      Sec. 3.  [124C.76] [AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS.] 
  3.3      The commissioner of children, families, and learning shall 
  3.4   establish a process to initiate a competitive grant program to 
  3.5   enhance the use of technology in after-school programs.  
  3.6   Eligible organizations include school districts, private 
  3.7   schools, nonprofit community organizations, public housing 
  3.8   agencies, and other successful programs that serve youth. 
  3.9      Sec. 4.  Laws 1995, First Special Session chapter 3, 
  3.10  article 12, section 12, subdivision 7, is amended to read: 
  3.11     Subd. 7.  [TELECOMMUNICATION ACCESS GRANTS.] For grants to 
  3.12  school districts and regional public library systems to 
  3.13  establish connections to MNet according to section 124C.74: 
  3.14        $5,500,000     .....     1996
  3.15        $5,000,000     .....     1997
  3.16       $13,000,000     .....     1997
  3.17     The appropriation does not cancel and is available until 
  3.18  June 30, 1997 expended. 
  3.19     Sec. 5.  [APPROPRIATIONS.] 
  3.20     Subdivision 1.  [DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND 
  3.21  LEARNING.] The sums indicated in this section are appropriated 
  3.22  from the general fund to the department of children, families, 
  3.23  and learning for the fiscal year designated. 
  3.24     Subd. 2.  [EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY CLEARINGHOUSE AND UPGRADE 
  3.25  SYSTEM.] For the education technology clearinghouse and upgrade 
  3.26  system under section 1: 
  3.27        $1,000,000     .....    1997
  3.28     The appropriation does not cancel and is available until 
  3.29  expended. 
  3.30     Subd. 3.  [COMPUTER HARDWARE, NETWORK HARDWARE, AND 
  3.31  TELECOMMUNICATIONS HARDWARE GRANTS TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS.] For 
  3.32  computer hardware, network hardware, and telecommunications 
  3.33  hardware grants to school districts under section 2: 
  3.34       $12,000,000     .....    1997 
  3.35     The appropriation does not cancel and is available until 
  3.36  expended. 
  4.1      Subd. 4.  [AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS.] For after-school program 
  4.2   grants under section 3: 
  4.3         $1,000,000     .....    1997 
  4.4      The appropriation does not cancel and is available until 
  4.5   expended. 
  4.6      Subd. 5.  [ALLOCATION BETWEEN PROGRAMS.] The commissioner 
  4.7   of children, families, and learning may reallocate up to 
  4.8   $2,200,000 of the funds appropriated in sections 4 and 5 between 
  4.9   the telecommunications access grants in section 4 and the 
  4.10  education technology clearinghouse and upgrade system; the 
  4.11  computer hardware, network hardware, and telecommunications 
  4.12  hardware grants; and after-school program grants in section 5.