INTRODUCED
BY K. Zolnikov
By Request of the Energy and Telecommunications Interim Committee
A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT TEMPORARILY REDIRECTING AND STATUTORILY APPROPRIATING TECHNOLOGY FUNDING TO E-RATE BROADBAND MATCHING FUNDS; PROVIDING AN APPROPRIATION; AMENDING SECTION 20-9-534, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE, AN APPLICABILITY DATE, AND A TERMINATION DATE."
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
.
Section 1. Section 20-9-534, MCA, is amended to read:
"20-9-534. Statutory appropriation for school technology purposes. (1) The amount of $1 million a year is statutorily appropriated, as provided in 17-7-502, from the school facility and technology account established in 20-9-516 for grants for school technology purposes to the office of public instruction.
(2) Twenty-five percent of the appropriation under subsection (1) must be allocated for providing funds for schools to use as state matching funds for special construction under the federal e-rate broadband program pursuant to 47 CFR 54.505, provided that none of the state matching funds may be used by schools for self-construction of their own or portions of their own networks.
(3) By the third Friday in July, the superintendent of public instruction shall allocate the remaining 75% of the appropriation under subsection (1) for grants for school technology purposes. The allocation to each district must be based on the ratio of the district's BASE budget to the statewide BASE budget amount for all school districts multiplied by the amount of money provided in 20-9-343 for the purposes of 20-9-533.
(4) If any of the funds allocated under subsection (2) are unspent as of June 30 of each fiscal year, the unspent funds must be added to the funds allocated under subsection (3) for the subsequent fiscal year.
(2) By
the third Friday in July, the superintendent of public instruction shall
allocate the annual statutory appropriation for school technology purposes to
each district based on the ratio that each district's BASE budget bears to the
statewide BASE budget amount for all school districts multiplied by the amount
of money provided in 20-9-343 for
the purposes of 20-9-533."
Section 2. Effective date. [This act] is effective July 1, 2021.
Section 3. Applicability. [This act] applies to school fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2021.
Section 4. Termination. [This act] terminates June 30, 2023.