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 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 annually for these initiatives, with the state board of finance responsible for issuing the bonds based on this certification. 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 emphasizing the importance of funding for education technology infrastructure.

Furthermore, the bill introduces provisions for public school capital outlay projects, establishing a formula for state funding that ensures a minimum share of six percent for approved school projects. It allows for an additional five percent increase in funding for districts demonstrating exemplary maintenance practices and outlines criteria for adjusting local funding based on financial capacity and student demographics. The broadband office will develop standards for education technology infrastructure and grant assistance for projects aimed at improving internet connectivity. The bill also repeals the previous broadband deployment program and sets an effective date of July 1, 2025, for the new provisions, ensuring a comprehensive approach to enhancing educational technology access across school districts.

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