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Second Substitute S.B. 248

Representative Stephen G. Handy proposes the following substitute bill:


             1     
SMART SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY ACT

             2     
2012 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Jerry W. Stevenson

             5     
House Sponsor: Stephen G. Handy

             6     
             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill creates a three-year pilot project to develop and implement whole-school
             10      technology deployment in public schools.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    creates a pilot project known as the Smart School Technology Program to
             14      encourage the deployment of a whole-school technology plan in public schools;
             15          .    directs the Board of Business and Economic Development to select a private
             16      education technology provider through a request for proposals process to develop
             17      and implement a whole-school technology deployment plan for schools;
             18          .    provides for the establishment of an independent evaluating committee to advise the
             19      Board of Business and Economic Development on issuing a request for proposals
             20      and selecting an education technology provider;
             21          .    specifies the components of a whole-school technology deployment plan;
             22          .    directs the State Board of Education to:
             23              .    select schools to participate in the program;
             24              .    make rules for selecting schools to participate in the program; and
             25              .    evaluate the program and report to the Education Interim Committee;


             26          .    allows up to $3,000,000 of the Industrial Assistance Account to be used one-time
             27      for the purpose of incubating technology solutions related to economic and
             28      workforce development; and
             29          .    repeals the pilot project after three years.
             30      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             31          None
             32      Other Special Clauses:
             33          This bill provides an immediate effective date.
             34      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             35      AMENDS:
             36          63I-2-253, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapters 303, 330, and 419
             37          63I-2-263, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapters 151 and 173
             38          63M-1-903, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2010, Chapters 245 and 278
             39          63M-1-906, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2010, Chapter 278
             40          63M-1-909, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 232
             41      ENACTS:
             42          53A-1-709, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             43          63M-1-909.5, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             44     
             45      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             46          Section 1. Section 53A-1-709 is enacted to read:
             47          53A-1-709. Smart School Technology Program.
             48          (1) As used in this section, "program" means the Smart School Technology Program.
             49          (2) A three-year pilot project known as the Smart School Technology Program is
             50      created to encourage the deployment of whole-school technology in public schools.
             51          (3) The Board of Business and Economic Development with input from an
             52      independent evaluating committee shall issue a request for proposals for the development and
             53      implementation of a whole-school technology deployment plan for schools.
             54          (4) From recommendations submitted by an independent evaluating committee, the
             55      Board of Business and Economic Development shall select a single education technology
             56      provider with integrated whole-school technology deployment experience through the request


             57      for proposals process.
             58          (5) (a) An independent evaluating committee shall be established to:
             59          (i) advise the Board of Business and Economic Development in issuing a request for
             60      proposals under Subsection (3);
             61          (ii) evaluate proposals submitted through a request for proposals issued under
             62      Subsection (3); and
             63          (iii) advise the State Board of Education on selecting schools to participate in the
             64      program.
             65          (b) The membership of the independent evaluating committee shall include:
             66          (i) three members of the State Board of Education appointed by the chair of the State
             67      Board of Education;
             68          (ii) the state chief information officer;
             69          (iii) two members appointed by the executive director of the Governor's Office of
             70      Economic Development; and
             71          (iv) the governor's education director.
             72          (c) The independent evaluating committee shall evaluate a proposal on:
             73          (i) a provider's experience with integrated whole-school technology deployment; and
             74          (ii) the components of a whole-school technology deployment plan.
             75          (6) An educational technology provider selected under Subsection (4) shall develop a
             76      customized whole-school technology deployment plan for each school participating in the
             77      program.
             78          (7) The whole-school technology deployment plan shall be based on submitted
             79      proposals to the committee and may include the following components:
             80          (a) a mobile learning device or digital textbook for each student;
             81          (b) desktop or laptop computers for classrooms;
             82          (c) peripherals and networking equipment, including a wireless network;
             83          (d) Internet filtering;
             84          (e) operating software for the technology system, including software that connects
             85      digital learning devices among students and a teacher to facilitate classroom interaction;
             86          (f) professional development for educators and technology specialists on:
             87          (i) the operation and use of the technology equipment; and


             88          (ii) accessing and using online content; and
             89          (g) ongoing technical support.
             90          (8) (a) A school district or charter school may submit an application to the State Board
             91      of Education to participate in the program.
             92          (b) With input from the independent evaluating committee established under
             93      Subsection (5), the State Board of Education shall select schools to participate in the program.
             94          (c) In selecting schools, the State Board of Education shall seek to include students in
             95      the program:
             96          (i) from different regions of the state;
             97          (ii) from urban and rural areas; and
             98          (iii) with a variety of economic and demographic characteristics.
             99          (d) The State Board of Education shall make rules specifying procedures and criteria to
             100      be used for selecting schools that may participate in the program.
             101          (9) (a) The State Board of Education, in collaboration with the education technology
             102      provider and the schools participating in the program, shall evaluate the program and submit a
             103      report on the evaluation to the Governor's Office of Economic Development and the Education
             104      Interim Committee by the committee's October meetings in 2013 and 2014.
             105          (b) The State Board of Education may contract with an independent evaluator to
             106      conduct the evaluation required in Subsection (9)(a).
             107          Section 2. Section 63I-2-253 is amended to read:
             108           63I-2-253. Repeal dates -- Titles 53, 53A, and 53B.
             109          (1) Section 53A-1-403.5 is repealed July 1, 2012.
             110          (2) Subsection 53A-1-603 (5) is repealed July 1, 2015.
             111          (3) Section 53A-1-709 is repealed July 1, 2015.
             112          [(3)] (4) Title 53A, Chapter 1a, Part 10, UPSTART, is repealed July 1, 2014.
             113          [(4)] (5) Subsection 53A-13-110 (4) is repealed July 1, 2013.
             114          [(5)] (6) Section 53A-15-1215 is repealed July 1, 2012.
             115          Section 3. Section 63I-2-263 is amended to read:
             116           63I-2-263. Repeal dates, Title 63A to Title 63M.
             117          (1) Subsection 63G-1-401 (5) is repealed on May 10, 2011.
             118          (2) Sections 63J-4a-206 and 63J-4a-207 are repealed on December 31, 2011.


             119          (3) Section 63M-1-909.5 is repealed July 1, 2015.
             120          [(3)] (4) Title 63M, Chapter 12, Advisory Council on Optimizing and Streamlining
             121      State Government Act, is repealed January 1, 2012.
             122          Section 4. Section 63M-1-903 is amended to read:
             123           63M-1-903. Industrial Assistance Account created.
             124          (1) There is created a restricted account within the General Fund known as the
             125      "Industrial Assistance Account" of which:
             126          (a) up to 50% shall be used in economically disadvantaged rural areas; [and]
             127          (b) up to 25% may be used to take timely advantage of economic opportunities as they
             128      arise[.]; and
             129          (c) up to $3,000,000 one-time shall be used for the purpose of incubating technology
             130      solutions related to economic and workforce development.
             131          (2) The restricted account shall be administered by the administrator under the policy
             132      direction of the board.
             133          (3) The administrator may hire appropriate support staff.
             134          (4) The cost of administering the restricted account shall be paid from money in the
             135      restricted account.
             136          (5) Interest accrued from investment of money in the restricted account shall remain in
             137      the restricted account.
             138          Section 5. Section 63M-1-906 is amended to read:
             139           63M-1-906. Qualification for assistance.
             140          (1) Except as provided in Section 63M-1-908 [or], 63M-1-909 , or 63M-1-909.5 , the
             141      administrator shall determine which industries, companies, and individuals qualify to receive
             142      money from the Industrial Assistance Account. Except as provided by Subsection (2), to
             143      qualify for financial assistance from the restricted account, an applicant shall:
             144          (a) demonstrate to the satisfaction of the administrator that the applicant will expend
             145      funds in Utah with employees, vendors, subcontractors, or other businesses in an amount
             146      proportional with money provided from the restricted account at a minimum ratio of 2 to 1 per
             147      year or other more stringent requirements as established from time to time by the board for a
             148      minimum period of five years beginning with the date the loan or grant was approved;
             149          (b) demonstrate to the satisfaction of the administrator the applicant's ability to sustain


             150      economic activity in the state sufficient to repay, by means of cash or appropriate credits, the
             151      loan provided by the restricted account; and
             152          (c) satisfy other criteria the administrator considers appropriate.
             153          (2) (a) The administrator may exempt an applicant from the requirements of Subsection
             154      (1)(a) or (b) if:
             155          (i) the financial assistance is provided to an applicant for the purpose of locating all or
             156      any portion of its operations to an economically disadvantaged rural area;
             157          (ii) the applicant is part of a targeted industry;
             158          (iii) the applicant is a quasi-public corporation organized under Title 16, Chapter 6a,
             159      Utah Revised Nonprofit Corporation Act, or Title 63E, Chapter 2, Independent Corporations
             160      Act, and its operations, as demonstrated to the satisfaction of the administrator, will provide
             161      significant economic stimulus to the growth of commerce and industry in the state; or
             162          (iv) the applicant is an entity offering an economic opportunity under Section
             163      63M-1-909 .
             164          (b) The administrator may not exempt the applicant from the requirement under
             165      Subsection 63M-1-905 (2)(b) that the loan be structured so that the repayment or return to the
             166      state equals at least the amount of the assistance together with an annual interest charge.
             167          (3) The administrator shall:
             168          (a) for applicants not described in Subsection (2)(a):
             169          (i) make findings as to whether or not each applicant has satisfied each of the
             170      conditions set forth in Subsection (1); and
             171          (ii) monitor the continued compliance by each applicant with each of the conditions set
             172      forth in Subsection (1) for five years;
             173          (b) for applicants described in Subsection (2)(a), make findings as to whether the
             174      economic activities of each applicant has resulted in the creation of new jobs on a per capita
             175      basis in the economically disadvantaged rural area or targeted industry in which the applicant is
             176      located;
             177          (c) monitor the compliance by each applicant with the provisions of any contract or
             178      agreement entered into between the applicant and the state as provided in Section 63M-1-907 ;
             179      and
             180          (d) make funding decisions based upon appropriate findings and compliance.


             181          Section 6. Section 63M-1-909 is amended to read:
             182           63M-1-909. Financial assistance to entities offering economic opportunities.
             183          (1) Subject to the duties and powers of the board under Section 63M-1-303 , the
             184      administrator may provide money from the Industrial Assistance Account to an entity offering
             185      an economic opportunity if that entity:
             186          (a) applies to the administrator; and
             187          (b) meets the qualifications of Subsection (2).
             188          (2) The applicant shall:
             189          (a) demonstrate to the satisfaction of the administrator the nature of the economic
             190      opportunity and the related benefit to the economic well-being of the state by providing
             191      evidence documenting the logical and compelling linkage, either direct or indirect, between the
             192      expenditure of money necessitated by the economic opportunity and the likelihood that the
             193      state's tax base, regions of the state's tax base, or specific components of the state's tax base
             194      will not be reduced but will be maintained or enlarged;
             195          (b) demonstrate how the funding request will act in concert with other state, federal, or
             196      local agencies to achieve the economic benefit;
             197          (c) demonstrate how the funding request will act in concert with free market principles;
             198          (d) in the case of an economic opportunity that includes the retention of jobs,
             199      demonstrate how the potential relocation of jobs outside the state is related to a merger,
             200      acquisition, consolidation, or similar business reason other than the applicant simply requesting
             201      state assistance to remain in the state;
             202          (e) satisfy other criteria the administrator considers appropriate; and
             203          (f) be either:
             204          (i) an entity whose purpose is to exclusively or substantially promote, develop, or
             205      maintain the economic welfare and prosperity of the state as a whole, regions of the state, or
             206      specific components of the state, including:
             207          (A) an entity that is a sports development organization under contract with the state for
             208      sports development and sporting event attraction and related activities that provide an
             209      economic impact or promotional value to the state; or
             210          (B) an entity that implements technology innovation in public schools, including
             211      whole-school technology deployment for the purpose of incubating technology solutions


             212      related to economic and workforce development.
             213          (ii) a company or individual that does not otherwise qualify under Section 63M-1-906 .
             214          (3) Subject to the duties and powers of the board under Section 63M-1-303 , the
             215      administrator shall:
             216          (a) make findings as to whether an applicant has satisfied each of the conditions set
             217      forth in Subsection (2);
             218          (b) establish benchmarks and timeframes in which progress toward the completion of
             219      the agreed upon activity is to occur;
             220          (c) monitor compliance by an applicant with any contract or agreement entered into by
             221      the applicant and the state as provided by Section 63M-1-907 ; and
             222          (d) make funding decisions based upon appropriate findings and compliance.
             223          Section 7. Section 63M-1-909.5 is enacted to read:
             224          63M-1-909.5. Selection of educational technology provider to implement
             225      whole-school technology deployment plan for schools.
             226          The board shall select an educational technology provider to develop and implement a
             227      whole-school technology deployment plan for schools in accordance with the requirements of
             228      this part and Section 53A-1-709.
             229          Section 8. Effective date.
             230          If approved by two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, this bill takes effect
             231      upon approval by the governor, or the day following the constitutional time limit of Utah
             232      Constitution Article VII, Section 8, without the governor's signature, or in the case of a veto,
             233      the date of veto override.


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