1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to telecommunications; mandating that public 
  1.3             and private schools be included as eligible system 
  1.4             recipients and users of the STARS program; amending 
  1.5             Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 16B.465. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 16B.465, is 
  1.8   amended to read: 
  1.9      16B.465 [STATEWIDE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACCESS ROUTING 
  1.10  SYSTEM.] 
  1.11     Subdivision 1.  [CREATION.] The statewide 
  1.12  telecommunications access routing system provides voice, data, 
  1.13  video, and other telecommunications transmission services to 
  1.14  state agencies~~,~~; educational institutions, including public and 
  1.15  private schools described in section 120.05 that meet the 
  1.16  minimum standards established by the state board of education, 
  1.17  and private colleges~~,~~; public corporations~~,~~; and state 
  1.18  political subdivisions.  It is not a telephone company for 
  1.19  purposes of chapter 237.  It shall not resell or sublease any 
  1.20  services or facilities to nonpublic entities except it may serve 
  1.21  private schools and colleges.  The commissioner has the 
  1.22  responsibility for planning, development, and operations of a 
  1.23  statewide telecommunications access routing system in order to 
  1.24  provide cost-effective telecommunications transmission services 
  1.25  to system users. 
  2.1      Subd. 2.  [ADVISORY COUNCIL.] The statewide 
  2.2   telecommunications access and routing system is managed by the 
  2.3   commissioner.  Subject to section 15.059, subdivisions 1 to 4, 
  2.4   the commissioner shall appoint an advisory council to provide 
  2.5   advice in implementing and operating a statewide 
  2.6   telecommunications access and routing system.  The council shall 
  2.7   represent the users of STARS services and shall include 
  2.8   representatives of higher education, public and private schools, 
  2.9   state agencies, and political subdivisions. 
  2.10     Subd. 3.  [DUTIES.] The commissioner, after consultation 
  2.11  with the council, shall: 
  2.12     (1) provide voice, data, video, and other 
  2.13  telecommunications transmission services to the state and to 
  2.14  political subdivisions through an account in the 
  2.15  intertechnologies revolving fund; 
  2.16     (2) manage vendor relationships, network function, and 
  2.17  capacity planning in order to be responsive to the needs of the 
  2.18  system users; 
  2.19     (3) set rates and fees for services; 
  2.20     (4) approve contracts relating to the system; 
  2.21     (5) develop the system plan, including plans for the 
  2.22  phasing of its implementation and maintenance of the initial 
  2.23  system, and the annual program and fiscal plans for the system; 
  2.24  and 
  2.25     (6) develop a plan for interconnection of the network with 
  2.26  private colleges and public and private schools in the state. 
  2.27     Subd. 4.  [PROGRAM PARTICIPATION.] (a) The commissioner may 
  2.28  require the participation of state agencies, the state board of 
  2.29  education, and the governing boards of the state universities, 
  2.30  the community colleges, and the technical colleges, and may 
  2.31  request the participation of the board of regents of the 
  2.32  University of Minnesota, in the planning and implementation of 
  2.33  the network to provide interconnective technologies.  The 
  2.34  commissioner shall establish reimbursement rates in cooperation 
  2.35  with the commissioner of finance to be billed to participating 
  2.36  agencies and educational institutions sufficient to cover the 
  3.1   operating, maintenance, and administrative costs of the system. 
  3.2      (b) A direct appropriation made to an educational 
  3.3   institution for usage costs associated with the STARS network 
  3.4   must only be used by the educational institution for payment of 
  3.5   usage costs of the network as billed by the commissioner of 
  3.6   administration.  The post-secondary appropriations may be 
  3.7   shifted between systems as required by unanticipated usage 
  3.8   patterns.  An intersystem transfer must be requested by the 
  3.9   appropriate system and may be made only after review and 
  3.10  approval by the commissioner of finance, in consultation with 
  3.11  the commissioner of administration. 
  3.12     Subd. 6.  [REVOLVING FUND.] Money appropriated for the 
  3.13  statewide telecommunications access routing system and fees for 
  3.14  telecommunications services must be deposited in an account in 
  3.15  the intertechnologies revolving fund.  Money in the account is 
  3.16  appropriated annually to the commissioner to operate 
  3.17  telecommunications services. 
  3.18     Subd. 7.  [EXEMPTION.] The system is exempt from the 
  3.19  five-year limitation on contracts set by section 16B.07, 
  3.20  subdivision 2.