H.B. 92 Enrolled

             1     

UTAH EDUCATION AND TELEHEALTH NETWORK

             2     
AMENDMENTS

             3     
2014 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Ronda Rudd Menlove

             6     
Senate Sponsor: Allen M. Christensen

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill amends provisions related to the Utah Education Network and the Telehealth
             11      Network.
             12      Highlighted Provisions:
             13          This bill:
             14          .    defines terms;
             15          .    creates the Utah Education and Telehealth Network (UETN) within the state system
             16      of higher education;
             17          .    establishes the duties of UETN;
             18          .    creates a governing board for UETN;
             19          .    establishes membership of the UETN Board;
             20          .    creates the Utah Education Advisory Council to assist the UETN Board;
             21          .    creates the Utah Telehealth Advisory Council to assist the UETN Board;
             22          .    authorizes the board, at its discretion, to merge the advisory councils after July 1,
             23      2015; and
             24          .    makes technical and conforming amendments.
             25      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             26          None
             27      Other Special Clauses:
             28          None
             29      Utah Code Sections Affected:


             30      AMENDS:
             31           46-4-503 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapter 412
             32           53A-3-429 , as enacted by Laws of Utah 2011, Chapter 397
             33           53A-15-101.5 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 382
             34           53A-15-104 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapters 235 and 382
             35           53B-17-101 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2006, Chapter 150
             36           53B-17-104 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2012, Chapter 16
             37           53B-18-901 , as enacted by Laws of Utah 2001, Chapter 329
             38           63G-6a-104 , as repealed and reenacted by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapter 445
             39           63J-3-103 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapters 295, 310, and 400
             40           63M-1-3204 , as enacted by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapter 336
             41           72-7-109 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2002, Chapter 176
             42      ENACTS:
             43           53B-17-101.5 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             44           53B-17-105 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             45           53B-17-106 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             46           53B-17-107 , Utah Code Annotated 1953
             47      REPEALS:
             48           53B-17-102 , as last amended by Laws of Utah 2012, Chapter 16
             49     
             50      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             51          Section 1. Section 46-4-503 is amended to read:
             52           46-4-503. Government products and services provided electronically.
             53          (1) Notwithstanding Section 46-4-501 , a state governmental agency that administers
             54      one or more of the following transactions shall allow those transactions to be conducted
             55      electronically:
             56          (a) an application for or renewal of a professional or occupational license issued under
             57      Title 58, Occupations and Professions;


             58          (b) the renewal of a drivers license;
             59          (c) an application for a hunting or fishing license;
             60          (d) the filing of:
             61          (i) a return under Title 59, Chapter 10, Individual Income Tax Act or Title 59, Chapter
             62      12, Sales and Use Tax Act;
             63          (ii) a court document, as defined by the Judicial Council; or
             64          (iii) a document under Title 70A, Uniform Commercial Code;
             65          (e) a registration for:
             66          (i) a product; or
             67          (ii) a brand;
             68          (f) a renewal of a registration of a motor vehicle;
             69          (g) a registration under:
             70          (i) Title 16, Corporations;
             71          (ii) Title 42, Names; or
             72          (iii) [on or before December 31, 2013, Title 48, Partnership, and on and after January
             73      1, 2014,] Title 48, Partnership - Unincorporated Business Entity Act; or
             74          (h) submission of an application for benefits:
             75          (i) under Title 35A, Chapter 3, Employment Support Act;
             76          (ii) under Title 35A, Chapter 4, Employment Security Act; or
             77          (iii) related to accident and health insurance.
             78          (2) The state system of public education, in coordination with the Utah Education and
             79      Telehealth Network, shall make reasonable progress toward making the following services
             80      available electronically:
             81          (a) secure access by parents and students to student grades and progress reports;
             82          (b) email communications with:
             83          (i) teachers;
             84          (ii) parent-teacher associations; and
             85          (iii) school administrators;


             86          (c) access to school calendars and schedules; and
             87          (d) teaching resources that may include:
             88          (i) teaching plans;
             89          (ii) curriculum guides; and
             90          (iii) media resources.
             91          (3) A state governmental agency shall:
             92          (a) in carrying out the requirements of this section, take reasonable steps to ensure the
             93      security and privacy of records that are private or controlled as defined by Title 63G, Chapter 2,
             94      Government Records Access and Management Act;
             95          (b) in addition to those transactions listed in Subsections (1) and (2), determine any
             96      additional services that may be made available to the public through electronic means; and
             97          (c) as part of the agency's information technology plan required by Section 63F-1-204 ,
             98      report on the progress of compliance with Subsections (1) through (3).
             99          (4) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this part, a state governmental agency is
             100      not required by this part to conduct a transaction electronically if:
             101          (a) conducting the transaction electronically is not required by federal law; and
             102          (b) conducting the transaction electronically is:
             103          (i) impractical;
             104          (ii) unreasonable; or
             105          (iii) not permitted by laws pertaining to privacy or security.
             106          (5) (a) For purposes of this Subsection (5), "one-stop shop" means the consolidation of
             107      access to diverse services and agencies at one location including virtual colocation.
             108          (b) State agencies that provide services or offer direct assistance to the business
             109      community shall participate in the establishment, maintenance, and enhancement of an
             110      integrated Utah business web portal known as Business.utah.gov. The purpose of the business
             111      web portal is to provide "one-stop shop" assistance to businesses.
             112          (c) State agencies shall partner with other governmental and nonprofit agencies whose
             113      primary mission is to provide services or offer direct assistance to the business community in


             114      Utah in fulfilling the requirements of this section.
             115          (d) The following state entities shall comply with the provisions of this Subsection (5):
             116          (i) Governor's Office of Economic Development, which shall serve as the managing
             117      partner for the website;
             118          (ii) Department of Workforce Services;
             119          (iii) Department of Commerce;
             120          (iv) Tax Commission;
             121          (v) Department of Administrative Services - Division of Purchasing and General
             122      Services, including other state agencies operating under a grant of authority from the division
             123      to procure goods and services in excess of $5,000;
             124          (vi) Department of Agriculture;
             125          (vii) Department of Natural Resources; and
             126          (viii) other state agencies that provide services or offer direct assistance to the business
             127      sector.
             128          (e) The business services available on the business web portal may include:
             129          (i) business life cycle information;
             130          (ii) business searches;
             131          (iii) employment needs and opportunities;
             132          (iv) motor vehicle registration;
             133          (v) permit applications and renewal;
             134          (vi) tax information;
             135          (vii) government procurement bid notifications;
             136          (viii) general business information;
             137          (ix) business directories; and
             138          (x) business news.
             139          Section 2. Section 53A-3-429 is amended to read:
             140           53A-3-429. Regional service centers.
             141          (1) For purposes of this section, "eligible regional service center" means a regional


             142      service center formed by two or more school districts as an interlocal entity, in accordance with
             143      Title 11, Chapter 13, Interlocal Cooperation Act.
             144          (2) The Legislature strongly encourages school districts to collaborate and cooperate to
             145      provide educational services in a manner that will best utilize resources for the overall
             146      operation of the public education system.
             147          (3) An eligible regional service center formed by an interlocal agreement, in
             148      accordance with Title 11, Chapter 13, Interlocal Cooperation Act, may receive a distribution
             149      described in Subsection (5) if the Legislature appropriates money for eligible regional service
             150      centers.
             151          (4) (a) If local school boards enter into an interlocal agreement to confirm or formalize
             152      a regional service center in operation before July 1, 2011, the interlocal agreement may not
             153      eliminate any rights or obligations of the regional service center in effect before entering into
             154      the interlocal agreement.
             155          (b) An interlocal agreement entered into to confirm or formalize an existing regional
             156      service center shall have the effect of confirming and ratifying in the regional service center,
             157      the title to any property held in the name, or for the benefit of the regional service center as of
             158      the effective date of the interlocal agreement.
             159          (5) (a) The State Board of Education shall distribute any funding appropriated to
             160      eligible regional service centers as provided by the Legislature.
             161          (b) The State Board of Education may provide funding to an eligible regional service
             162      center in addition to legislative appropriations.
             163          (6) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the
             164      State Board of Education shall make rules regarding eligible regional service centers including:
             165          (a) the distribution of legislative appropriations to eligible regional service centers;
             166          (b) the designation of eligible regional service centers as agents to distribute Utah
             167      Education and Telehealth Network services; and
             168          (c) the designation of eligible regional service centers as agents for regional
             169      coordination of public education and higher education services.


             170          (7) A public school that is a charter school may enter into a contract with an eligible
             171      regional service center to receive education related services from the eligible regional service
             172      center.
             173          Section 3. Section 53A-15-101.5 is amended to read:
             174           53A-15-101.5. Concurrent enrollment instruction in Mandarin Chinese.
             175          (1) (a) As used in this section, "category IV languages" means those languages
             176      designated the most difficult to learn by the Defense Language Institute as provided in training
             177      to members of the United States Military.
             178          (b) The Legislature recognizes:
             179          (i) the importance of students acquiring skills in foreign languages in order for them to
             180      successfully compete in a global society; and
             181          (ii) that the acquisition of category IV languages, such as Mandarin Chinese, Arabic,
             182      Korean, and Japanese, by students in the state's public schools requires extended sequences of
             183      study to acquire useful proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
             184          (2) (a) As a component of the concurrent enrollment program authorized under Section
             185      53A-15-101 , the State Board of Education and the State Board of Regents, in consultation with
             186      the Utah Education and Telehealth Network, may develop and implement a concurrent
             187      enrollment course of study in the category IV language of Mandarin Chinese.
             188          (b) The course shall be taught over [EDNET,] the state's two-way interactive video
             189      conferencing system for video and audio, to high school juniors and seniors in the state's public
             190      education system.
             191          (3) (a) The concurrent enrollment course in Mandarin Chinese authorized in
             192      Subsection (2) may use paraprofessionals in the classroom who:
             193          (i) are fluent in Mandarin Chinese; and
             194          (ii) can provide reinforcement and tutoring to students on days and at times when they
             195      are not receiving instruction [over EDNET] under Subsection (2)(b).
             196          (b) The State Board of Education, through the State Superintendent of Public
             197      Instruction, and professors who teach Chinese in the state system of higher education shall


             198      jointly ensure that the paraprofessionals are fluent in Mandarin Chinese.
             199          (4) The State Board of Education and the State Board of Regents shall make joint rules
             200      on the concurrent enrollment course authorized under this section in accordance with Title
             201      63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, to include:
             202          (a) notification to school districts on the times and places of the course offerings; and
             203          (b) instructional materials for the course.
             204          (5) Students who successfully complete the concurrent enrollment course offered under
             205      this section shall receive tuition reimbursement for a sequential Mandarin Chinese course they
             206      successfully complete at an institution within the state system of higher education under rules
             207      made by the State Board of Regents in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah
             208      Administrative Rulemaking Act.
             209          (6) The State Board of Education and the State Board of Regents shall jointly track and
             210      monitor the Mandarin Chinese language program and may expand the program to include other
             211      category IV languages, subject to student demand for the courses and available resources.
             212          Section 4. Section 53A-15-104 is amended to read:
             213           53A-15-104. Critical Languages Program -- Pilot.
             214          (1) (a) As used in this section, "critical languages" means those languages described in
             215      the federal National Security Language Initiative, including Chinese, Arabic, Russian, Farsi,
             216      Hindi, and Korean.
             217          (b) The Legislature recognizes:
             218          (i) the importance of students acquiring skills in foreign languages in order for them to
             219      successfully compete in a global society; and
             220          (ii) the academic, societal, and economic development benefits of the acquisition of
             221      critical languages.
             222          (2) (a) The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Utah Education and
             223      Telehealth Network, shall develop and implement courses of study in the critical languages.
             224          (b) A course may be taught:
             225          (i) over [EDNET,] the state's two-way interactive video conferencing system for video


             226      and audio, to students in the state's public education system;
             227          (ii) through the Electronic High School;
             228          (iii) through traditional instruction; or
             229          (iv) by visiting guest teachers.
             230          (3) (a) The courses authorized in Subsection (2) may use paraprofessionals in the
             231      classroom who:
             232          (i) are fluent in the critical language being taught; and
             233          (ii) can provide reinforcement and tutoring to students on days and at times when they
             234      are not receiving instruction [over EDNET] under Subsection (2)(b).
             235          (b) The State Board of Education, through the state superintendent of public
             236      instruction, shall ensure that the paraprofessionals are fluent in the critical languages.
             237          (4) The State Board of Education shall make rules on the critical languages courses
             238      authorized under this section in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative
             239      Rulemaking Act, to include:
             240          (a) notification to school districts on the times and places of the course offerings; and
             241          (b) instructional materials for the courses.
             242          (5) The State Board of Education shall track and monitor the Critical Languages
             243      Program and may expand the program to include more course offerings and other critical
             244      languages, subject to student demand for the courses and available resources.
             245          (6) (a) Subject to funding for the program, the State Board of Education shall establish
             246      a pilot program for school districts and schools to initially participate in the Critical Languages
             247      Program that provides:
             248          (i) up to $6,000 per language per school, for up to 60 schools, for courses offered in
             249      critical languages;
             250          (ii) up to $100 per student who completes a critical languages course; and
             251          (iii) up to an additional $400 per foreign exchange student who completes a critical
             252      languages course.
             253          (b) If the available funding is insufficient to provide the amounts described under


             254      Subsection (6)(a), the amounts provided shall be reduced pro rata so that the total provided
             255      does not exceed the available funding.
             256          Section 5. Section 53B-17-101 is amended to read:
             257           53B-17-101. Legislative findings on public broadcasting and telecommunications
             258      for education.
             259          The Legislature finds and determines the following:
             260          (1) The University of Utah's Dolores Dore' Eccles Broadcast Center is the statewide
             261      public broadcasting and telecommunications facility for education in Utah.
             262          (2) The center shall provide services to citizens of the state in cooperation with higher
             263      and public education, state and local government, and private industry.
             264          (3) Distribution services provided through the center shall include KUED - TV, KUER
             265      - FM, and KUEN - TV.
             266          (4) KUED - TV and KUER - FM are licensed to the University of Utah.
             267          (5) The Utah Education and Telehealth Network's broadcast entity, KUEN - TV, is
             268      licensed to the Utah State Board of Regents and, together with [UEN] UETN, is operated on
             269      behalf of the state's systems of public and higher education.
             270          (6) All the entities referred to in Subsection (3) are under the administrative
             271      supervision of the University of Utah, subject to the authority and governance of the State
             272      Board of Regents.
             273          (7) This section neither regulates nor restricts a privately owned company in the
             274      distribution or dissemination of educational programs.
             275          Section 6. Section 53B-17-101.5 is enacted to read:
             276          53B-17-101.5. Definitions.
             277          As used in this part:
             278          (1) "Board" means the Utah Education and Telehealth Network Board.
             279          (2) "Education Advisory Council" means the Utah Education Network Advisory
             280      Council created in Section 53B-17-107 .
             281          (3) "Telehealth" means the electronic transfer, exchange, or management of related


             282      data for diagnosis, treatment, and consultation, and educational, public health, or other related
             283      purposes.
             284          (4) "Telehealth Advisory Council" means the Utah Telehealth Advisory Council
             285      created in Section 53B-17-106 .
             286          (5) "Utah Education and Telehealth Network," or "UETN," means a consortium and
             287      partnership between public and higher education, the Utah Department of Health, and health
             288      care providers, that is created in Section 53B-17-105 .
             289          Section 7. Section 53B-17-104 is amended to read:
             290           53B-17-104. Responsibilities of the State Board of Regents, the State Board of
             291      Education, the University of Utah, KUED - TV, KUER - FM, and UETN related to public
             292      broadcasting and telecommunication for education and government.
             293          (1) Subject to applicable rules of the Federal Communications Commission and
             294      Section [ 53B-17-102 ] 53B-17-105 , the State Board of Regents, the State Board of Education,
             295      [and] the University of Utah, KUED - TV, KUER - FM, and [UEN] UETN shall:
             296          (a) coordinate statewide services of public radio and television;
             297          (b) develop, maintain, and operate statewide distribution systems for KUED - TV,
             298      KUER - FM, and KUEN, the statewide distance learning service, the educational data network,
             299      connections to the Internet, and other telecommunications services appropriate for providing
             300      video, audio, and data telecommunication services in support of public and higher education,
             301      state government, and public libraries;
             302          (c) support the delivery of these services to as many communities as may be
             303      economically and technically feasible and lawfully permissible under the various operating
             304      licenses;
             305          (d) cooperate with state and local governmental and educational agencies and provide
             306      leadership and consulting service for telecommunication for education;
             307          (e) represent the state with privately owned telecommunications systems to gain access
             308      to their networks for the delivery of programs and services sponsored or produced by public
             309      and higher education;


             310          (f) acquire, produce, coordinate, and distribute a variety of programs and services of an
             311      educational, cultural, informative, and entertaining nature designed to promote the public
             312      interest and welfare of the state;
             313          (g) coordinate with the state system of higher education to acquire, produce, and
             314      distribute broadcast and nonbroadcast college credit telecourses, teleconferences, and other
             315      instructional and training services;
             316          (h) coordinate with school districts and public schools to acquire, produce, and
             317      distribute broadcast and nonbroadcast telecourses, teleconferences, and other instructional and
             318      training services to the public schools;
             319          (i) coordinate the development of a clearing house for the materials, courses,
             320      publications, media, software, and other applicable information related to the items addressed
             321      in Subsections (1)(g) and (h);
             322          (j) coordinate the provision of the following services to public schools:
             323          (i) broadcast, during school hours, of educational and administrative programs
             324      recommended by the State Board of Education;
             325          (ii) digitization of programs for broadcast purposes; and
             326          (iii) program previewing;
             327          (k) share responsibility for Instructional Television (ITV) awareness and utilization;
             328      and
             329          (l) provide teleconference and training services for state and local governmental
             330      agencies.
             331          (2) This section neither regulates nor restricts a privately owned company in the
             332      distribution or dissemination of education programs.
             333          Section 8. Section 53B-17-105 is enacted to read:
             334          53B-17-105. Utah Education and Telehealth Network.
             335          (1) There is created the Utah Education and Telehealth Network, or UETN.
             336          (2) UETN shall:
             337          (a) coordinate and support the telecommunications needs of public and higher


             338      education, public libraries, and entities affiliated with the state systems of public and higher
             339      education as approved by the Utah Education and Telehealth Network Board, including the
             340      statewide development and implementation of a network for education, which utilizes satellite,
             341      microwave, fiber-optic, broadcast, and other transmission media;
             342          (b) coordinate the various telecommunications technology initiatives of public and
             343      higher education;
             344          (c) provide high-quality, cost-effective Internet access and appropriate interface
             345      equipment for schools and school systems;
             346          (d) procure, install, and maintain telecommunication services and equipment on behalf
             347      of public and higher education;
             348          (e) develop or implement other programs or services for the delivery of distance
             349      learning and telehealth services as directed by law;
             350          (f) apply for state and federal funding on behalf of:
             351          (i) public and higher education; and
             352          (ii) telehealth services;
             353          (g) in consultation with health care providers from a variety of health care systems,
             354      explore and encourage the development of telehealth services as a means of reducing health
             355      care costs and increasing health care quality and access, with emphasis on assisting rural health
             356      care providers and special populations; and
             357          (h) in consultation with the Utah Department of Health, advise the governor and the
             358      Legislature on:
             359          (i) the role of telehealth in the state;
             360          (ii) the policy issues related to telehealth;
             361          (iii) the changing telehealth needs and resources in the state; and
             362          (iv) state budgetary matters related to telehealth.
             363          (3) In performing the duties under Subsection (2), UETN shall:
             364          (a) provide services to schools, school districts, and the public and higher education
             365      systems through an open and competitive bidding process;


             366          (b) work with the private sector to deliver high-quality, cost-effective services;
             367          (c) avoid duplicating facilities, equipment, or services of private providers or public
             368      telecommunications service, as defined under Section 54-8b-2 ;
             369          (d) utilize statewide economic development criteria in the design and implementation
             370      of the educational telecommunications infrastructure; and
             371          (e) assure that public service entities, such as educators, public service providers, and
             372      public broadcasters, are provided access to the telecommunications infrastructure developed in
             373      the state.
             374          (4) The University of Utah shall provide administrative support for UETN.
             375          (5) (a) The Utah Education and Telehealth Network Board, which is the governing
             376      board for UETN, is created.
             377          (b) The Utah Education and Telehealth Network Board shall have 13 members as
             378      follows:
             379          (i) four members representing the state system of higher education appointed by the
             380      commissioner of higher education;
             381          (ii) four members representing the state system of public education including:
             382          (A) three members appointed by the State Board of Education; and
             383          (B) one member representing the Utah State Office of Education appointed by the state
             384      superintendent;
             385          (iii) one member representing applied technology centers appointed by the president of
             386      the Utah College of Applied Technology;
             387          (iv) one member representing the state library appointed by the state librarian;
             388          (v) two members representing hospitals as follows:
             389          (A) the members may not be employed by the same hospital system;
             390          (B) one member shall represent a rural hospital;
             391          (C) one member shall represent an urban hospital; and
             392          (D) the chief administrator or the administrator's designee for each hospital licensed in
             393      this state shall select the two hospital representatives; and


             394          (vi) one member representing the office of the governor, appointed by the governor.
             395          (c) When a vacancy occurs in the membership for any reason, the replacement shall be
             396      appointed for the unexpired term.
             397          (d) (i) The board shall elect a chair.
             398          (ii) The chair shall set the agenda for the board meetings.
             399          (6) A member of the board may not receive compensation or benefits for the member's
             400      service, but may receive per diem and travel expenses in accordance with:
             401          (a) Section 63A-3-106 ;
             402          (b) Section 63A-3-107 ; and
             403          (c) rules made by the Division of Finance pursuant to Sections 63A-3-106 and
             404      63A-3-107 .
             405          (7) The board:
             406          (a) shall hire an executive director for UETN who may hire staff for UETN as
             407      permitted by the budget;
             408          (b) may terminate the executive director's employment or assignment;
             409          (c) shall determine the executive director's salary;
             410          (d) shall annually conduct a performance evaluation of the executive director;
             411          (e) shall establish policies the board determines are necessary for the operation of
             412      UETN and the administration of UETN's duties; and
             413          (f) shall advise UETN in:
             414          (i) the development and operation of a coordinated, statewide, multi-option
             415      telecommunications system to assist in the delivery of educational services and telehealth
             416      services throughout the state; and
             417          (ii) acquiring, producing, and distributing instructional content.
             418          (8) The executive director of UETN shall be an at-will employee.
             419          (9) UETN shall locate and maintain educational and telehealth telecommunication
             420      infrastructure throughout the state.
             421          (10) Educational institutions shall manage site operations under policy established by


             422      UETN.
             423          (11) Subject to future budget constraints, the Legislature shall provide an annual
             424      appropriation to operate UETN.
             425          (12) If the network operated by the Department of Technology Services is not
             426      available, UETN may provide network connections to the central administration of counties
             427      and municipalities for the sole purpose of transferring data to a secure facility for backup and
             428      disaster recovery.
             429          Section 9. Section 53B-17-106 is enacted to read:
             430          53B-17-106. Utah Telehealth Advisory Council.
             431          (1) There is created the Utah Telehealth Advisory Council, which may, at the
             432      discretion of the board, and after July 1, 2015, be combined with the Utah Education Advisory
             433      Council created in Section 53B-17-107 .
             434          (2) The Utah Telehealth Advisory Council members shall be appointed by the board.
             435          (3) (a) The Telehealth Advisory Council shall annually elect a chairperson from its
             436      membership. The chair shall set the agendas for the meetings of the advisory council and shall
             437      report to the board.
             438          (b) The Telehealth Advisory Council shall hold meetings at least once every three
             439      months. Meetings may be held from time to time on the call of the chair or a majority of the
             440      board members.
             441          (4) A member may not receive compensation or benefits for the member's service, but,
             442      at the executive director's discretion, may receive per diem and travel expenses in accordance
             443      with:
             444          (a) Section 63A-3-106 ;
             445          (b) Section 63A-3-107 ; and
             446          (c) rules made by the Division of Finance pursuant to Sections 63A-3-106 and
             447      63A-3-107 .
             448          (5) The board shall provide staff support to the council.
             449          (6) The council shall:


             450          (a) advise and make recommendations on telehealth service issues to the board and
             451      other state entities;
             452          (b) advise and make recommendations on telehealth-related patient privacy to the
             453      board;
             454          (c) promote collaborative efforts to establish technical compatibility, uniform policies,
             455      and privacy features to meet legal, financial, commercial, and other societal requirements;
             456          (d) identify, address, and seek to resolve the legal, ethical, regulatory, financial,
             457      medical, and technological issues that may serve as barriers to telehealth service;
             458          (e) explore and encourage the development of telehealth as a means of reducing health
             459      care costs and increasing health care quality and access, with emphasis on assisting rural health
             460      care providers and special populations with access to or development of electronic medical
             461      records; and
             462          (f) seek public input on telehealth issues.
             463          Section 10. Section 53B-17-107 is enacted to read:
             464          53B-17-107. Utah Education Advisory Council.
             465          (1) (a) There is created the Utah Education Advisory Council which may, at the
             466      discretion of the board, and after July 1, 2015, be combined with the Utah Telehealth Advisory
             467      Council created in Section 53B-17-106 .
             468          (b) The Utah Education Advisory Council members shall be appointed by the board.
             469          (c) The Utah Education Advisory Council shall annually elect a chairperson from its
             470      membership. The chair shall set the agenda for Utah Education Advisory Council meetings
             471      and report to the board.
             472          (d) The Utah Education Advisory Council shall hold meetings at least once every three
             473      months. Meetings may be held from time to time on the call of the chair or a majority of the
             474      board members.
             475          (2) A member of the Utah Education Advisory Council may not receive compensation
             476      or benefits for the member's service, but at the executive director's discretion may receive per
             477      diem and travel expenses in accordance with:


             478          (a) Section 63A-3-106 ;
             479          (b) Section 63A-3-107 ; and
             480          (c) rules made by the Division of Finance pursuant to Sections 63A-3-106 and
             481      63A-3-107 .
             482          (3) The Utah Education Advisory Council shall:
             483          (a) advise the board and other public entities regarding:
             484          (i) the coordination of the various telecommunications technology initiatives of public
             485      and higher education;
             486          (ii) how to provide high-quality, cost-effective Internet access and appropriate interface
             487      equipment for schools and school systems;
             488          (iii) recommendations for the procurement, installation, and maintenance of
             489      telecommunication services and equipment on behalf of public and higher education; and
             490          (iv) the development or implementation of other programs or services for the delivery
             491      of distance learning and digital health services as directed by law; and
             492          (b) seek public input on the development and operation of a coordinated, statewide,
             493      multi-option telecommunications system to assist in the delivery of educational services and
             494      digital health services throughout the state.
             495          (4) The board shall provide staff to the council.
             496          Section 11. Section 53B-18-901 is amended to read:
             497           53B-18-901. Distance Education Doctorate Program.
             498          (1) The Legislature finds that:
             499          (a) many Utah public education administrators are nearing the end of their careers and
             500      will retire early in the 21st Century;
             501          (b) Utah public schools have many mid-career faculty that could become the next wave
             502      of administrators if they were prepared with a doctorate in education degree that emphasized
             503      curriculum and instruction;
             504          (c) each of Utah's community colleges have several faculty that need a terminal degree
             505      and further knowledge in curriculum development and state-of-the-art instructional


             506      methodology, and these individuals, being mid-career, find it difficult to relocate to a college
             507      campus for a traditional program; and
             508          (d) the state and its students will be better served if faculty and administrators are more
             509      knowledgeable about the development of curriculum and the latest instructional methodology
             510      based on documented research.
             511          (2) Therefore, Utah State University shall establish a Distance Education Doctorate
             512      Program to accommodate public education administrators and community college faculty and
             513      administration.
             514          (3) The program shall include the following components:
             515          (a) the offering of courses for a doctorate degree in education over the [UEN-EDNET]
             516      system established under Title 53B, Chapter 17, Part 1, Educational Telecommunications;
             517          (b) structuring of the program to make it identical to a regular campus program in rigor
             518      and course work; and
             519          (c) providing a support system from at least the following five departments at the
             520      university:
             521          (i) Elementary Education;
             522          (ii) Secondary Education;
             523          (iii) Business Information Systems and Education;
             524          (iv) Industrial Technology; and
             525          (v) Agricultural Systems Technology and Education.
             526          (4) The university shall augment the program with off-campus summer courses, with
             527      those courses eventually being offered over the [UEN-EDNET] system established under Title
             528      53B, Chapter 17, Part 1, Educational Telecommunications.
             529          (5) The Legislature shall provide an annual appropriation to fund the program
             530      established under this part.
             531          Section 12. Section 63G-6a-104 is amended to read:
             532           63G-6a-104. Definitions of government entities.
             533          As used in this chapter:


             534          (1) "Applicable rulemaking authority" means:
             535          (a) as it relates to a legislative procurement unit, the Legislative Management
             536      Committee, which shall adopt a policy establishing requirements applicable to a legislative
             537      procurement unit;
             538          (b) as it relates to a judicial procurement unit, the Judicial Council;
             539          (c) as it relates to an executive branch procurement unit, except to the extent provided
             540      in Subsections (1)(d) through (g), the board;
             541          (d) as it relates to the State Building Board, created in Section 63A-5-101 , the State
             542      Building Board, but only to the extent that the rules relate to procurement authority expressly
             543      granted to the State Building Board by statute;
             544          (e) as it relates to the Division of Facilities Construction and Management, created in
             545      Section 63A-5-201 , the director of the Division of Facilities Construction and Management,
             546      but only to the extent that the rules relate to procurement authority expressly granted to the
             547      Division of Facilities Construction and Management by statute;
             548          (f) as it relates to the Office of the Attorney General, the attorney general, but only to
             549      the extent that the rules relate to procurement authority expressly granted to the attorney
             550      general by statute;
             551          (g) as it relates to the Department of Transportation, created in Section 72-1-201 , the
             552      executive director of the Department of Transportation, but only to the extent that the rules
             553      relate to procurement authority expressly granted to the Department of Transportation by
             554      statute;
             555          (h) as it relates to a local government procurement unit, the legislative body of the local
             556      government procurement unit, not as a delegation of authority from the Legislature, but under
             557      the local government procurement unit's own legislative authority;
             558          (i) as it relates to a school district or a public school, the Utah State Procurement Policy
             559      Board, except to the extent that a school district makes its own nonadministrative rules, with
             560      respect to a particular subject, that do not conflict with the provisions of this chapter;
             561          (j) as it relates to a state institution of higher education, the State Board of Regents;


             562          (k) as it relates to a public transit district, the chief executive of the public transit
             563      district;
             564          (l) as it relates to a local district or a special service district:
             565          (i) before May 13, 2014, the board of trustees of the local district or the governing body
             566      of the special service district; or
             567          (ii) on or after May 13, 2014, the board, except to the extent that the board of trustees
             568      of the local district or the governing body of the special service district makes its own rules:
             569          (A) with respect to a subject addressed by board rules; or
             570          (B) that are in addition to board rules; or
             571          (m) as it relates to a procurement unit, other than a procurement unit described in
             572      Subsections (1)(a) through (l), the board.
             573          (2) "Board" means the Utah State Procurement Policy Board, created in Section
             574      63G-6a-202 .
             575          (3) "Building board" means the State Building Board created in Section 63A-5-101 .
             576          (4) "Conservation district" is as defined in Section 17D-3-102 .
             577          (5) "Division" means the Division of Purchasing and General Services.
             578          (6) "Educational procurement unit" means:
             579          (a) a school district;
             580          (b) a public school, including a local school board or a charter school;
             581          (c) Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind;
             582          (d) the Utah Education and Telehealth Network; or
             583          (e) an institution of higher education of the state.
             584          (7) "Executive branch procurement unit" means each department, division, office,
             585      bureau, agency, or other organization within the state executive branch, including the division
             586      and the attorney general's office.
             587          (8) "External procurement unit" means:
             588          (a) a buying organization not located in this state which, if located in this state, would
             589      qualify as a procurement unit; or


             590          (b) an agency of the United States.
             591          (9) "Judicial procurement unit" means:
             592          (a) the Utah Supreme Court;
             593          (b) the Utah Court of Appeals;
             594          (c) the Judicial Council;
             595          (d) a state judicial district; or
             596          (e) each office, committee, subcommittee, or other organization within the state
             597      judicial branch.
             598          (10) "Legislative procurement unit" means:
             599          (a) the Legislature;
             600          (b) the Senate;
             601          (c) the House of Representatives;
             602          (d) a staff office of an entity described in Subsection (10)(a), (b), or (c); or
             603          (e) each office, committee, subcommittee, or other organization within the state
             604      legislative branch.
             605          (11) "Local building authority" is as defined in Section 17D-2-102 .
             606          (12) "Local district" is as defined in Section 17B-1-102 .
             607          (13) "Local government procurement unit" means:
             608          (a) a county or municipality, and each office or agency of the county or municipality,
             609      unless the county or municipality adopts its own procurement code by ordinance;
             610          (b) a county or municipality, and each office or agency of the county or municipality,
             611      that has adopted this entire chapter by ordinance; or
             612          (c) a county or municipality, and each office or agency of the county or municipality,
             613      that has adopted a portion of this chapter by ordinance, to the extent that the term is used in the
             614      adopted portion of this chapter.
             615          (14) (a) "Procurement unit" means:
             616          (i) a legislative procurement unit;
             617          (ii) an executive branch procurement unit;


             618          (iii) a judicial procurement unit;
             619          (iv) an educational procurement unit;
             620          (v) a local government procurement unit;
             621          (vi) a local district;
             622          (vii) a special service district;
             623          (viii) a local building authority;
             624          (ix) a conservation district;
             625          (x) a public corporation; or
             626          (xi) a public transit district.
             627          (b) "Procurement unit" does not include a political subdivision created under Title 11,
             628      Chapter 13, Interlocal Cooperation Act.
             629          (15) "Public corporation" is as defined in Section 63E-1-102 .
             630          (16) "Public entity" means any state government entity or a political subdivision of the
             631      state, including:
             632          (a) a procurement unit;
             633          (b) a municipality or county, regardless of whether the municipality or county has
             634      adopted this chapter or any part of this chapter; and
             635          (c) any other government entity located in Utah that expends public funds.
             636          (17) "Public transit district" means a public transit district organized under Title 17B,
             637      Chapter 2a, Part 8, Public Transit District Act.
             638          (18) "Special service district" is as defined in Section 17D-1-102 .
             639          Section 13. Section 63J-3-103 is amended to read:
             640           63J-3-103. Definitions.
             641          As used in this chapter:
             642          (1) (a) "Appropriations" means actual unrestricted capital and operating appropriations
             643      from unrestricted General Fund and Education Fund sources.
             644          (b) "Appropriations" includes appropriations that are contingent upon available
             645      surpluses in the General Fund and Education Fund.


             646          (c) "Appropriations" does not mean:
             647          (i) public education expenditures;
             648          (ii) Utah Education and Telehealth Network expenditures in support of public
             649      education;
             650          (iii) Utah College of Applied Technology expenditures in support of public education;
             651          (iv) Tax Commission expenditures related to collection of income taxes in support of
             652      public education;
             653          (v) debt service expenditures;
             654          (vi) emergency expenditures;
             655          (vii) expenditures from all other fund or subfund sources;
             656          (viii) transfers or appropriations from the Education Fund to the Uniform School Fund;
             657          (ix) transfers into, or appropriations made to, the General Fund Budget Reserve
             658      Account established in Section 63J-1-312 ;
             659          (x) transfers into, or appropriations made to, the Education Budget Reserve Account
             660      established in Section 63J-1-313 ;
             661          (xi) transfers in accordance with Section 63J-1-314 into, or appropriations made to the
             662      State Disaster Recovery Restricted Account created in Section 53-2a-603 ;
             663          (xii) money appropriated to fund the total one-time project costs for the construction of
             664      capital developments as defined in Section 63A-5-104 ;
             665          (xiii) transfers or deposits into or appropriations made to the Centennial Highway Fund
             666      created by Section 72-2-118 ;
             667          (xiv) transfers or deposits into or appropriations made to the Transportation Investment
             668      Fund of 2005 created by Section 72-2-124 ;
             669          (xv) transfers or deposits into or appropriations made to:
             670          (A) the Department of Transportation from any source; or
             671          (B) any transportation-related account or fund from any source; or
             672          (xvi) supplemental appropriations from the General Fund to the Division of Forestry,
             673      Fire, and State Lands to provide money for wildland fire control expenses incurred during the


             674      current or previous fire years.
             675          (2) "Base year real per capita appropriations" means the result obtained for the state by
             676      dividing the fiscal year 1985 actual appropriations of the state less debt money by:
             677          (a) the state's July 1, 1983 population; and
             678          (b) the fiscal year 1983 inflation index divided by 100.
             679          (3) "Calendar year" means the time period beginning on January 1 of any given year
             680      and ending on December 31 of the same year.
             681          (4) "Fiscal emergency" means an extraordinary occurrence requiring immediate
             682      expenditures and includes the settlement under Laws of Utah 1988, Fourth Special Session,
             683      Chapter 4.
             684          (5) "Fiscal year" means the time period beginning on July 1 of any given year and
             685      ending on June 30 of the subsequent year.
             686          (6) "Fiscal year 1985 actual base year appropriations" means fiscal year 1985 actual
             687      capital and operations appropriations from General Fund and non-Uniform School Fund
             688      income tax revenue sources, less debt money.
             689          (7) "Inflation index" means the change in the general price level of goods and services
             690      as measured by the Gross National Product Implicit Price Deflator of the Bureau of Economic
             691      Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce calculated as provided in Section 63J-3-202 .
             692          (8) (a) "Maximum allowable appropriations limit" means the appropriations that could
             693      be, or could have been, spent in any given year under the limitations of this chapter.
             694          (b) "Maximum allowable appropriations limit" does not mean actual appropriations
             695      spent or actual expenditures.
             696          (9) "Most recent fiscal year's inflation index" means the fiscal year inflation index two
             697      fiscal years previous to the fiscal year for which the maximum allowable inflation and
             698      population appropriations limit is being computed under this chapter.
             699          (10) "Most recent fiscal year's population" means the fiscal year population two fiscal
             700      years previous to the fiscal year for which the maximum allowable inflation and population
             701      appropriations limit is being computed under this chapter.


             702          (11) "Population" means the number of residents of the state as of July 1 of each year
             703      as calculated by the Governor's Office of Management and Budget according to the procedures
             704      and requirements of Section 63J-3-202 .
             705          (12) "Revenues" means the revenues of the state from every tax, penalty, receipt, and
             706      other monetary exaction and interest connected with it that are recorded as unrestricted revenue
             707      of the General Fund and from non-Uniform School Fund income tax revenues, except as
             708      specifically exempted by this chapter.
             709          (13) "Security" means any bond, note, warrant, or other evidence of indebtedness,
             710      whether or not the bond, note, warrant, or other evidence of indebtedness is or constitutes an
             711      "indebtedness" within the meaning of any provision of the constitution or laws of this state.
             712          Section 14. Section 63M-1-3204 is amended to read:
             713           63M-1-3204. STEM Action Center.
             714          (1) As funding allows, the board shall:
             715          (a) establish a STEM Action Center;
             716          (b) ensure that the STEM Action Center:
             717          (i) is accessible by the public; and
             718          (ii) includes the components described in Subsection (2);
             719          (c) work cooperatively with the State Board of Education to acquire technology and
             720      select schools as described in Sections 63M-1-3205 and 63M-1-3206 ; and
             721          (d) engage private entities to provide financial support or employee time for STEM
             722      activities in schools in addition to what is currently provided by private entities.
             723          (2) As funding allows, the executive director of the STEM Action Center shall:
             724          (a) support professional development for educators regarding education related
             725      instructional technology that supports STEM education;
             726          (b) ensure that the STEM Action Center acts as a research and development center for
             727      education related instructional technology acquired through a request for proposals process
             728      described in Section 63M-1-3205 ;
             729          (c) review and acquire STEM education related technology for:


             730          (i) educator professional development;
             731          (ii) assessment, data collection, analysis, and reporting; and
             732          (iii) public school instruction;
             733          (d) facilitate participation in interscholastic STEM related competitions, fairs, and
             734      camps;
             735          (e) engage private industry in the development and maintenance of the STEM Action
             736      Center;
             737          (f) use resources to bring the latest STEM education learning tools into public
             738      education classrooms;
             739          (g) identify at least 10 best practice innovations used in Utah schools that have resulted
             740      in at least 80% of students performing at grade level in STEM areas;
             741          (h) identify best practices being used outside the state and implement selected practices
             742      through a pilot program;
             743          (i) identify:
             744          (i) three learning tools for kindergarten through grade 6 identified as best practices; and
             745          (ii) three learning tools per STEM subject for grades 7 through 12 identified as best
             746      practices;
             747          (j) provide a Utah best practices database, including best practices from public
             748      education, higher education, the Utah Education and Telehealth Network, and other STEM
             749      related entities;
             750          (k) keep track of the following items related to the best practices database described in
             751      Subsection (2)(j):
             752          (i) how the best practices database is being used; and
             753          (ii) how many individuals are using the database, including the demographics of the
             754      users, if available;
             755          (l) join and participate in a national STEM network;
             756          (m) identify performance changes linked to use of the best practices database described
             757      in Subsection (2)(j);


             758          (n) work cooperatively with the State Board of Education to designate schools as
             759      STEM schools, where the schools have agreed to adopt a plan of STEM implementation in
             760      alignment with criteria set by the State Board of Education and the board;
             761          (o) support best methods of professional development, including methods of
             762      professional development that reduce cost and increase effectiveness, to help educators learn
             763      how to most effectively implement best practice learning tools in classrooms;
             764          (p) recognize a high school's achievement in the STEM competitions, fairs, and camps
             765      described in Subsection (2)(d);
             766          (q) send student results from STEM competitions, fairs, and camps described in
             767      Subsection (2)(d) to media and ask the media to report on them;
             768          (r) develop and distribute STEM toolkits to parents of students being served by the
             769      STEM Action Center;
             770          (s) support targeted professional development for improved instruction in STEM in
             771      grades 6, 7, and 8, including:
             772          (i) improved instructional materials that are dynamic and engaging for students;
             773          (ii) targeted instruction for students who traditionally avoid enrolling in STEM
             774      courses;
             775          (iii) introduction of engaging engineering courses; and
             776          (iv) introduction of other research-based methods that support student achievement in
             777      STEM areas; and
             778          (t) ensure that an online college readiness assessment tool be accessible by:
             779          (i) public education students; and
             780          (ii) higher education students.
             781          (3) The board may prescribe other duties for the STEM Action Center in addition to
             782      the responsibilities described in this section.
             783          (4) (a) The executive director shall track and compare the student performance of
             784      students participating in a STEM Action Center program to all other similarly situated students
             785      in the state, in the following STEM related activities, at the beginning and end of each year:


             786          (i) public education high school graduation rates;
             787          (ii) the number of students taking a remedial mathematics course at an institution of
             788      higher education described in Section 53B-2-101 ;
             789          (iii) the number of students who graduate from a Utah public school and begin a
             790      postsecondary education program; and
             791          (iv) the number of students, as compared to all similarly situated students, who are
             792      performing at grade level in STEM classes.
             793          (b) The State Board of Education and the State Board of Regents shall provide
             794      information to the board to assist the board in complying with the requirements of Subsection
             795      (4)(a) if allowed under federal law.
             796          Section 15. Section 72-7-109 is amended to read:
             797           72-7-109. Telecommunications Advisory Council -- Membership -- Duties.
             798          (1) As used in this section:
             799          (a) "Council" means the Telecommunications Advisory Council created in this section.
             800          (b) "Statewide telecommunications purposes" has the same meaning provided in
             801      Section 72-7-108 .
             802          (2) (a) There is created within the department the Telecommunication Advisory
             803      Council consisting of six members who represent:
             804          (i) the governor's chief advisor on telecommunications;
             805          (ii) the Public Service Commission;
             806          (iii) the department;
             807          (iv) the Utah Education and Telehealth Network;
             808          (v) the Division of Purchasing and General Services within the Department of
             809      Administrative Services; and
             810          (vi) the Division of Public Utilities within the Department of Commerce.
             811          (b) The members shall be appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate.
             812          (3) (a) The members shall annually elect a chair from its members.
             813          (b) The council shall meet as it determines necessary to accomplish its duties.


             814          (c) A majority of the council constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business.
             815          (d) Members shall receive no compensation or benefits for their services.
             816          (4) (a) The department shall provide staff support for the council.
             817          (b) The council may request assistance from other technical advisors as it determines
             818      necessary to accomplish its duties.
             819          (5) The council shall:
             820          (a) provide information, suggestions, strategic plans, priorities, and recommendations
             821      to assist the department in administering telecommunications access to interstate highway
             822      rights-of-way for statewide telecommunications purposes;
             823          (b) assist the department in valuing in-kind compensation in accordance with
             824      Subsection 72-7-108 (3)(c);
             825          (c) seek input from telecommunications providers and the public;
             826          (d) coordinate and exchange information with other technology and
             827      telecommunications entities of the state and its political subdivisions; and
             828          (e) provide other assistance as requested by the department.
             829          Section 16. Repealer.
             830          This bill repeals:
             831          Section 53B-17-102 , Utah Education Network.


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