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AB-2437 School infrastructure: network infrastructure.(2013-2014)

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Amended  IN  Assembly  May 01, 2014
Amended  IN  Assembly  April 23, 2014

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2013–2014 REGULAR SESSION

Assembly Bill
No. 2437

Introduced by Assembly Member Hagman
(Coauthor: Assembly Member Maienschein)

February 21, 2014

An act to add Article 15 (commencing with Section 17079.35) to Chapter 12.5 of Part 10 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code, relating to school infrastructure, and making an appropriation therefor.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


AB 2437, as amended, Hagman. School infrastructure: network infrastructure.
Existing law authorizes the California School Financing Authority to issue revenue bonds in an amount not to exceed $400 million to be repaid from a dedicated portions of funds allocated to school districts from the California State Lottery Education Fund for the purposes of establishing computer-based networks and telecommunications systems for instructional purposes, including the procurement and installation of computer hardware and software, multimedia audio, video, and data transfer equipment, and wiring, cabling, and other equipment necessary to establish network connectivity, and any planning and installation costs associated with establishing and installing the networks.
This bill would require the State Department of Education to establish a competitive grant program to provide grants for the construction of network infrastructure, as defined, for schools with kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. local educational agencies to administer computer-based assessments for pupils. The bill would require the department to award grants based on the needs of the local education agencies and would require, as a condition of the grant, that the local education agency provide matching funds of 50% of the project costs. develop guidelines for the implementation of the program. The bill would, for the 2014–15 fiscal year, appropriate $500,000,000 from the General Fund to the department for the grant program.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: YES   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Article 15 (commencing with Section 17079.35) is added to Chapter 12.5 of Part 10 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the Education Code, to read:
Article  15. Network Infrastructure

17079.35.
 (a) The department shall establish a competitive grant program to provide grants for the construction of network infrastructure for schools with kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive. local educational agencies to administer computer-based assessments of pupils that are required by federal or state law. For the purposes of this section, “network infrastructure” means the hardware or software resources of an entire network that enable network connectivity, communication, operations, and management of an enterprise network.

(b)In administering the program, the department shall evaluate an application and award the grants based on the need of the local education agencies.

(c)The department shall, as a condition of a grant, require the local education agency to provide matching funds in an amount of 50 percent of the project costs.

(b) Grant funds provided pursuant to this section may be used for the following purposes:
(1) Networking hardware, that may include, but is not limited to, routers, switches, wireless access points, firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and network cabling. Network hardware does not include desktop or laptop computers or similar equipment.
(2) Networking software, that may include, but is not limited to, network monitoring and management, network traffic analysis, and network security applications.
(3) Network service, that may include, but is not limited to, mobile broadband, cable, digital subscriber line, satellite, wireless, T1, T3, or optical service.
(c) Priority for funding shall be given to local educational agencies that have no or little network connectivity.
(d) The department shall develop guidelines for the implementation of the program. The guidelines shall be developed with public input and shall include, but shall not be limited to, all of the following:
(1) The maximum grant amount.
(2) A matching funds requirement, based on a sliding scale.
(3) The process for submitting applications and determining awards.

(d)

(e) (1) For the 2014–15 fiscal year, the sum of five hundred million dollars ($500,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General Fund to the department for the purposes of this section.
(2) The department may expend not more than ____ percent of the amount appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1) for its administrative costs in implementing this article.