SF 2282

as introduced - 79th Legislature (1995 - 1996) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am

  1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to education; eliminating match requirement 
  1.3             for library telecommunication aid; allowing local 
  1.4             telephone companies to offer services at reduced or no 
  1.5             cost to schools and libraries; modifying the use of 
  1.6             telecommunication grant funds; amending Minnesota 
  1.7             Statutes 1995 Supplement, sections 124C.74, 
  1.8             subdivisions 2 and 3; 134.46; and 237.065; Laws 1995, 
  1.9             First Special Session chapter 3, article 12, section 
  1.10            12, subdivision 7. 
  1.11  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.12     Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 
  1.13  124C.74, subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.14     Subd. 2.  [SCHOOL DISTRICT TELECOMMUNICATIONS GRANT.] (a) A 
  1.15  school district may apply for a grant under this subdivision 
  1.16  to:  (1) establish connections among school districts, and 
  1.17  between school districts and the MNet statewide 
  1.18  telecommunications network administered by the department of 
  1.19  administration under section 16B.465; or (2) if such a 
  1.20  connection meeting minimum electronic connectivity standards is 
  1.21  already established, enhance telecommunications capacity for a 
  1.22  school district.  The minimum standards of capacity are a 56 
  1.23  kilobyte data line and 768 kilobyte ITV connection, subject to 
  1.24  change based on the recommendations by the Minnesota education 
  1.25  telecommunications council.  A district may submit a grant 
  1.26  application for interactive television with higher capacity 
  1.27  connections in order to maintain multiple simultaneous 
  1.28  connections.  To ensure coordination among school districts, a 
  2.1   school district must submit its grant application to the council 
  2.2   through an organization that coordinates the applications and 
  2.3   connections of at least ten school districts or through an 
  2.4   existing technology cooperative.  
  2.5      (b) The application must, at a minimum, contain information 
  2.6   to document for each applicant school district the following: 
  2.7      (1) that the proposed connection meets the minimum 
  2.8   standards and employs an open network architecture that will 
  2.9   ensure interconnectivity and interoperability with other 
  2.10  education institutions and libraries; 
  2.11     (2) that the proposed connection and system will be 
  2.12  connected to MNet through the department of administration under 
  2.13  section 16B.465 and that a network service and management 
  2.14  agreement is in place; 
  2.15     (3) that the proposed connection and system will be 
  2.16  connected to the higher education telecommunication network and 
  2.17  that a governance agreement has been adopted which includes 
  2.18  agreements between the school district system, a higher 
  2.19  education regional council, libraries, and coordinating 
  2.20  entities; 
  2.21     (4) the telecommunication vendor, which may be MNet, 
  2.22  selected to provide service from the district to an MNet hub or 
  2.23  to a more cost-effective connection point to MNet; and 
  2.24     (5) other information, as determined by the commissioner in 
  2.25  consultation with the education telecommunications council, to 
  2.26  ensure that connections are coordinated, meet state standards 
  2.27  and are cost-effective, and that service is provided in an 
  2.28  efficient and cost-effective manner. 
  2.29     (c) A grant applicant shall obtain a grant proposal for 
  2.30  network services from MNet.  If MNet is not selected as the 
  2.31  vendor, the application must provide the reasons for choosing an 
  2.32  alternative vendor.  A school district may include, in its grant 
  2.33  application, telecommunications access for collaboration with 
  2.34  nonprofit arts organizations for the purpose of educational 
  2.35  programs, or access for a secondary media center that:  (1) is a 
  2.36  member of a multitype library system; (2) is open during periods 
  3.1   of the year when classroom instruction is occurring; and (3) has 
  3.2   licensed school media staff on site. 
  3.3      (d) The Minnesota education telecommunications council 
  3.4   shall award grants and the funds shall be dispersed by the 
  3.5   commissioner.  The highest priority for these grants shall be to 
  3.6   bring school districts up to the minimum connectivity 
  3.7   standards.  The telecommunications council shall also give 
  3.8   priority to grant proposals from school districts with fewer 
  3.9   than 1,000 students which do not have a data connection.  A 
  3.10  grant to enhance telecommunications capacity beyond the minimum 
  3.11  connectivity standards shall be no more than 75 percent of the 
  3.12  maximum grant under this subdivision.  Grant applications for 
  3.13  minimum connection and enhanced telecommunications capacity 
  3.14  grants must be submitted to the commissioner by a coordinating 
  3.15  organization including, but not limited to, service cooperatives 
  3.16  and education districts.  For the purposes of this section, a 
  3.17  school district includes charter schools under section 120.064.  
  3.18  Based on the award made by the council, all grants under this 
  3.19  subdivision shall be paid by the commissioner directly to a 
  3.20  school district (unless this application requests that the funds 
  3.21  be paid to the coordinating agency). 
  3.22     (e) Money awarded under this section may be used only for 
  3.23  the purposes explicitly stated in the grant application. 
  3.24     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 
  3.25  124C.74, subdivision 3, is amended to read: 
  3.26     Subd. 3.  [REGIONAL LIBRARY TELECOMMUNICATION GRANT.] (a) A 
  3.27  regional public library system may apply for a telecommunication 
  3.28  access grant.  The grant must be used to create or expand the 
  3.29  capacity of electronic data access and connect the library 
  3.30  system with the MNet statewide telecommunications network 
  3.31  administered by the department of administration under section 
  3.32  16B.465.  Connections must meet minimum system standards of a 56 
  3.33  kilobyte data line and 768 kilobyte ITV connection.  To be 
  3.34  eligible for a telecommunications access grant, a regional 
  3.35  public library system must:  (1) meet the level of local support 
  3.36  required under section 134.34; and (2) be open at least 20 hours 
  4.1   per week; and (3) provide a local match for the grant with local 
  4.2   funds under section 134.46. 
  4.3      (b) Any grant award under this subdivision may not be used 
  4.4   to substitute for any existing local funds allocated to provide 
  4.5   electronic access, or equipment for library staff or the public, 
  4.6   or local funds previously dedicated to other library operations. 
  4.7      (c) An application for a regional public library 
  4.8   telecommunications access grant must, at a minimum, contain 
  4.9   information to document the following: 
  4.10     (1) that the connection meets the minimum standards and 
  4.11  employs an open network architecture that will ensure 
  4.12  interconnectivity and interoperability with other libraries and 
  4.13  the educational system; 
  4.14     (2) that the connection is being established through the 
  4.15  most cost-effective means and that the public library has 
  4.16  explored and coordinated connections through school districts or 
  4.17  other governmental agencies; 
  4.18     (3) that the proposed connection and system will be 
  4.19  connected to MNet through the department of administration under 
  4.20  section 16B.465 and that a network service and management 
  4.21  agreement is in place; 
  4.22     (4) that the proposed connection and system will be 
  4.23  connected to the higher education and to the school district 
  4.24  telecommunication networks subject to a governance agreement 
  4.25  with one or more school districts and a higher education 
  4.26  regional council specifying how the system will be coordinated; 
  4.27     (5) the telecommunication vendor, which may be MNet, 
  4.28  selected to provide service from the library to an MNet hub or 
  4.29  through a more cost-effective connection point to MNet; and 
  4.30     (6) other information, as determined by the commissioner, 
  4.31  to ensure that connections are coordinated, meet state 
  4.32  standards, are cost-effective, and that service is provided in 
  4.33  an efficient and cost-effective manner so that libraries 
  4.34  throughout the state are connected in as seamless a manner as 
  4.35  technically possible. 
  4.36     (d) A grant applicant shall obtain a grant proposal for 
  5.1   network services from MNet.  If MNet is not selected as the 
  5.2   vendor, the application must provide the reasons for choosing an 
  5.3   alternative vendor. 
  5.4      Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 
  5.5   134.46, is amended to read: 
  5.6      134.46 [REGIONAL LIBRARY TELECOMMUNICATIONS AID.] 
  5.7      (a) A regional public library system may apply to the 
  5.8   commissioner for telecommunications aid to support data access 
  5.9   through regional public library systems, including access to 
  5.10  Internet for library staff and the public.  The maximum amount 
  5.11  of aid for each public library shall be calculated as follows: 
  5.12     (1) multiply $1 times the lesser of the population of the 
  5.13  area served by the regional public library system, or the sum of 
  5.14  the populations of the participating portions of the system; and 
  5.15     (2) deduct an amount equal to the sum of .1 percent times 
  5.16  the adjusted net tax capacity for each participating city or 
  5.17  county for the year preceding the year the levy is certified. 
  5.18     (b) A regional public library must match state aid with 
  5.19  local funds equal to .1 percent times the adjusted net tax 
  5.20  capacity for each participating city or county for the year 
  5.21  preceding the year the levy is certified.  A regional public 
  5.22  library that receives a telecommunications access grant under 
  5.23  section 124C.74 may use local funds under this section for the 
  5.24  grant match in the year the grant is awarded, without a 
  5.25  reduction in state aid.  Local matching funds must be an 
  5.26  increase in the amount of local funds allocated to support 
  5.27  library operations in the year prior to the first year of the 
  5.28  telecommunication access grant.  Local matching funds are exempt 
  5.29  from section 134.34.  A grant award under this section may not 
  5.30  be used to substitute for any existing local funds allocated to 
  5.31  provide electronic data access or equipment for library staff or 
  5.32  the public, or local funds previously dedicated to other library 
  5.33  operations. 
  5.34     (c) Telecommunications aid under this section may be used 
  5.35  for the: 
  5.36     (1) construction, maintenance, and lease costs of data 
  6.1   access connections, including Internet connections; 
  6.2      (2) purchase, maintenance, professional development, and 
  6.3   support of computer hardware and software for data access; 
  6.4      (3) cost of technical support for a regional library 
  6.5   systems' technology investments, including technical support, 
  6.6   personnel, contracted services for technical support, and 
  6.7   training; and 
  6.8      (4) promotion of electronic access through public libraries 
  6.9   for members of the public. 
  6.10     (d) If appropriations are insufficient to fully fund aid 
  6.11  under this section, the commissioner shall prorate aid payments 
  6.12  to participating regional library systems. 
  6.13     Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1995 Supplement, section 
  6.14  237.065, is amended to read: 
  6.15     237.065 [RATES FOR SPECIAL SERVICE TO SCHOOLS.] 
  6.16     Subdivision 1.  [BASIC SERVICES.] Each telephone company, 
  6.17  including a company that has developed an incentive plan under 
  6.18  section 237.625, that provides local telephone service in a 
  6.19  service area that includes a school that has classes within the 
  6.20  range from kindergarten to 12th grade shall provide, upon 
  6.21  request, additional service to the school that is sufficient to 
  6.22  ensure access to basic telephone service from each classroom and 
  6.23  other areas within the school, as determined by the school 
  6.24  board.  Each company shall set a flat rate for this additional 
  6.25  service that is less than the company's flat rate for an access 
  6.26  line for a business and the same as or greater than the 
  6.27  company's flat rate for an access line for a residence in the 
  6.28  same local telephone service exchange.  When a company's flat 
  6.29  rates for businesses and residences are the same, the company 
  6.30  shall use the residential rate for service to schools under this 
  6.31  section.  The rate required under this section is available only 
  6.32  for a school that installs additional service that includes 
  6.33  access to basic telephone service from each classroom and other 
  6.34  areas within the school, as determined by the school board. 
  6.35     Subd. 2.  [BASIC AND ADVANCED TELECOMMUNICATION 
  6.36  SERVICES.] Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 237.09 and 
  7.1   237.14, each telephone company that provides local telephone 
  7.2   service in a service area that includes a school that has 
  7.3   classes within the range from kindergarten to 12th grade or that 
  7.4   includes a public library may provide, upon request, basic and 
  7.5   advanced telecommunication services at reduced or no cost to 
  7.6   that school or library.  For the purposes of this subdivision, 
  7.7   "school" includes a public school as defined in section 120.05, 
  7.8   nonpublic, and church or religious organization schools which 
  7.9   provide instruction in compliance with sections 120.101 to 
  7.10  120.102. 
  7.11     Sec. 5.  Laws 1995, First Special Session chapter 3, 
  7.12  article 12, section 12, subdivision 7, is amended to read: 
  7.13     Subd. 7.  [TELECOMMUNICATION ACCESS GRANTS.] For grants to 
  7.14  school districts and regional public library systems to 
  7.15  establish connections to MNet according to Minnesota Statutes, 
  7.16  section 124C.74: 
  7.17       $5,500,000     .....     1996 
  7.18       $5,000,000     .....     1997
  7.19     Of this appropriation, $300,000 is to pay the transmission 
  7.20  costs for programming over the network and costs associated with 
  7.21  operating the network. 
  7.22     This appropriation is available until June 30, 1997. 
  7.23     Sec. 6.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  7.24     Section 5 is effective the day following final enactment.