The bill amends the Severance Tax Bonding Act and the Broadband Access and Expansion Act to create a new Education Technology Infrastructure Fund, enabling the issuance of supplemental severance tax bonds specifically for education technology infrastructure. 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 for related expenditures, with the state board of finance responsible for issuing these bonds. Additionally, the bill transfers the Public School Facilities Authority's broadband deployment and connectivity program to the Office of Broadband Access and Expansion, streamlining the management of broadband initiatives in education and allowing for grants to support these efforts.

Moreover, the bill establishes a formula for determining state funding for approved school projects, which varies based on fiscal year and school district conditions. It introduces provisions for increased funding based on exemplary maintenance practices and sets local match requirements for constitutional special schools. The bill emphasizes the importance of broadband connectivity for educational purposes, creating a framework for enhancing education technology infrastructure, including guidelines for a statewide education technology network and prioritization of projects based on various factors. The provisions of this act are set to 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
Final Version: 7-27-12, 22-24-4, 22-24-5, 63-9J-1, 63-9J-2, 22-24-4.5