This bill amends the Severance Tax Bonding Act and the Broadband Access and Expansion Act to create the Education Technology Infrastructure Fund, which will facilitate the issuance of supplemental severance tax bonds for educational technology projects. The director of the Office of Broadband Access and Expansion is authorized to certify the need for up to $10 million in bond proceeds per fiscal year, allowing the state board of finance to issue and sell these bonds. The bill also modifies existing provisions regarding the use of these bond proceeds, enabling their allocation for both education technology infrastructure and public school capital outlay projects. New definitions and provisions for rulemaking and grants related to the fund are introduced, aiming to enhance broadband access and connectivity in educational settings.

Additionally, the bill updates definitions in the Broadband Access and Expansion Act, specifically defining "underserved" and "unserved" areas based on internet service speeds. It mandates the broadband office to collaborate with relevant authorities to establish minimum adequacy standards for education technology infrastructure by January 1, 2026, and outlines criteria for grant applications and project prioritization. The bill also includes a temporary provision for transferring responsibilities from the broadband deployment program to the new office of broadband access and expansion, while repealing a previous section of law related to the broadband deployment program. The provisions of this act will take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 7-27-12, 22-24-4, 22-24-5, 63-9J-1, 63-9J-2, 22-24-4.5