HB46 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Donnie Chesteen Senator

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

Schools, Alabama Ahead Act, use of bonds to purchase and install high quality standards-based broadband Wi-Fi infrastructure in all public K-12 schools, Sec. 16-16B-2.1 added; Secs. 16-16B-1, 16-16B-2, 16-16B-3 am'd.

Description

Under existing law, the Alabama Ahead Act authorizes the Alabama Public School and College Authority to sell and issue up to $100,000,000 in bonds to fund the purchase of digital textbooks for public high school students, with implementation of the act contingent upon separate legislative enactment.

This bill would amend the Alabama Ahead Act to provide that the bonds be used to purchase and install, as a first priority, a high quality standards-based broadband Wi-Fi infrastructure in every classroom in every public school; and use remaining funds to purchase mobile digital computing devices to enable access to digital resources in the state in lieu of digital textbooks for public high school students.

This bill would specify priorities and standards for wireless infrastructure and a cost model.

This bill would provide an implementation plan consisting of a technology plan, an infrastructure readiness report, and accountability reporting.

This bill would revise the membership of the advisory committee to consist only of select members of the Alabama Educational Technology Association (AETA) and select members of the Educational Technology Division of the State Department of Education.

This bill would require bonds issued pursuant to the act to be issued upon approval of the State Director of Finance.

This bill would also amend the contingent implementation act provided in the originating act in order to allow bonds to be issued by the Alabama Public School and College Authority.

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Subjects

Education