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| Public Act 094-0734 |
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AN ACT concerning telecommunications.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Eliminate the Digital Divide Law is amended | ||||
by changing Sections 5-30 and 5-45 as follows:
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(30 ILCS 780/5-30)
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Sec. 5-30. Community Technology Center Grant Program.
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(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.
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(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
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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.
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To be eligible to apply for a grant, a Community
Technology | ||
Center, public hospital, library, or park district must serve a
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community in which not less than 40%
of the
students are | ||
eligible for a free or reduced price lunch under the national
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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,
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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
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adopted by the Department.
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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.
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The Department shall
provide assistance to Community | ||
Technology Centers in making those
determinations for purposes | ||
of applying for grants.
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(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.
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(d) The Department shall adopt rules setting forth the | ||
required form
and contents of grant applications.
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(e) There is created
the Digital Divide Elimination | ||
Advisory Committee. The advisory committee
shall consist of 7
5
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members appointed one each by the Governor, the President of
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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
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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
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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
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committee shall seek any available federal funding.
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(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.
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(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.
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(Source: P.A. 91-704, eff. 7-1-00; 92-22, eff. 6-30-01.)
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(30 ILCS 780/5-45)
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Sec. 5-45. Statewide Community Technology Center Network.
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(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.
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(Source: P.A. 91-704, eff. 7-1-00.)
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
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