Public Act 094-0734
 
HB3650 Enrolled LRB094 10275 MKM 42023 b

    AN ACT concerning telecommunications.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 5. The Eliminate the Digital Divide Law is amended
by changing Sections 5-30 and 5-45 as follows:
 
    (30 ILCS 780/5-30)
    Sec. 5-30. Community Technology Center Grant Program.
    (a) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall
administer the Community Technology Center Grant Program under
which the Department shall make grants in accordance with this
Article for planning, establishment, administration, and
expansion of Community Technology Centers and for assisting
public hospitals, libraries, and park districts in eliminating
the digital divide. The purposes of the grants shall include,
but not be limited to, volunteer recruitment and management,
training and instruction, infrastructure, and related goods
and services, including case management, administration,
personal information management, and outcome-tracking tools
and software for the purposes of reporting to the Department
and for enabling participation in digital government and
consumer services programs, for Community Technology Centers
and public hospitals, libraries, and park districts. The total
amount of grants under this Section in fiscal year 2001 shall
not exceed $2,000,000, except that this limit on grants shall
not apply to grants funded by appropriations from the Digital
Divide Elimination Fund. No Community Technology Center may
receive a grant of more than $75,000 $50,000 under this Section
in a particular fiscal year.
    (b) Public hospitals, libraries, park districts, and State
educational agencies, local educational agencies, institutions
of higher education, and other public and private nonprofit or
for-profit agencies and organizations are eligible to receive
grants under this Program, provided that a local educational
agency or public or private educational agency or organization
must, in order to be eligible to receive grants under this
Program, provide computer access and educational services
using information technology to the public at one or more of
its educational buildings or facilities at least 12 hours each
week. A group of eligible entities is also eligible to receive
a grant if the group follows the procedures for group
applications in 34 CFR 75.127-129 of the Education Department
General Administrative Regulations.
    To be eligible to apply for a grant, a Community Technology
Center, public hospital, library, or park district must serve a
community in which not less than 40% of the students are
eligible for a free or reduced price lunch under the national
school lunch program or in which not less than 30% of the
students are eligible for a free lunch under the national
school lunch program; however, if funding is insufficient to
approve all grant applications for a particular fiscal year,
the Department may impose a higher minimum percentage threshold
for that fiscal year. Determinations of communities and
determinations of the percentage of students in a community who
are eligible for a free or reduced price lunch under the
national school lunch program shall be in accordance with rules
adopted by the Department.
    Any entities that have received a Community Technology
Center grant under the federal Community Technology Centers
Program are also eligible to apply for grants under this
Program.
    The Department shall provide assistance to Community
Technology Centers in making those determinations for purposes
of applying for grants.
    (c) Grant applications shall be submitted to the Department
on a schedule of one or more deadlines established by the
Department by rule not later than March 15 for the next fiscal
year.
    (d) The Department shall adopt rules setting forth the
required form and contents of grant applications.
    (e) There is created the Digital Divide Elimination
Advisory Committee. The advisory committee shall consist of 7 5
members appointed one each by the Governor, the President of
the Senate, the Senate Minority Leader, the Speaker of the
House, and the House Minority Leader, and 2 appointed by the
Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, one of whom
shall be a representative of the telecommunications industry
and one of whom shall represent community technology centers.
The members of the advisory committee shall receive no
compensation for their services as members of the advisory
committee but may be reimbursed for their actual expenses
incurred in serving on the advisory committee. The Digital
Divide Elimination Advisory Committee shall advise the
Department in establishing criteria and priorities for
identifying recipients of grants under this Act. The advisory
committee shall obtain advice from the technology industry
regarding current technological standards. The advisory
committee shall seek any available federal funding.
    (f) There is created the Digital Divide Elimination Working
Group. The Working Group shall consist of the Director of
Commerce and Economic Opportunity, or his or her designee, the
Director of Central Management Services, or his or her
designee, and the Executive Director of the Illinois Commerce
Commission, or his or her designee. The Director of Commerce
and Economic Opportunity, or his or her designee, shall serve
as chair of the Working Group. The Working Group shall consult
with the members of the Digital Divide Elimination Advisory
Committee and may consult with various groups including, but
not limited to, telecommunications providers,
telecommunications-related technology producers and service
providers, community technology providers, community and
consumer organizations, businesses and business organizations,
and federal government agencies.
    (g) Duties of the Digital Divide Elimination Working Group
include all of the following:
        (1) Undertaking a thorough review of grant programs
    available through the federal government, local agencies,
    telecommunications providers, and business and charitable
    entities for the purpose of identifying appropriate
    sources of revenues for the Digital Divide Elimination Fund
    and attempting to update available grants on a regular
    basis.
        (2) Researching and cataloging programs designed to
    advance digital literacy and computer access that are
    available through the federal government, local agencies,
    telecommunications providers, and business and charitable
    entities and attempting to update available programs on a
    regular basis.
        (3) Presenting the information compiled from items (1)
    and (2) to the Department of Commerce and Economic
    Opportunity, which shall serve as a single point of contact
    for applying for funding for the Digital Divide Elimination
    Fund and for distributing information to the public
    regarding all programs designed to advance digital
    literacy and computer access.
(Source: P.A. 91-704, eff. 7-1-00; 92-22, eff. 6-30-01.)
 
    (30 ILCS 780/5-45)
    Sec. 5-45. Statewide Community Technology Center Network.
    (a) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall expend
not more than $100,000 in fiscal year 2001 to establish and
administer a Statewide Community Technology Center Network to
assist in local and regional planning under this Article.
    (b) Subject to appropriation, the Department may expend not
more than $100,000 in fiscal year 2006 and each fiscal year
thereafter to establish and administer a Statewide Community
Technology Center Network to assist in local and regional
planning and revenue development and outreach under this
Article.
(Source: P.A. 91-704, eff. 7-1-00.)
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
becoming law.