A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT REpealing THE E‑NC Authority SUNSET PROVISION and APPROPRIATing FUNDS TO THE E‑NC AUTHORITY FOR HIGH‑SPEED INTERNET CONNECTIVITY INCENTIVE GRANTS and FOR job CREATION through economic development and suPPORT OF E‑NC BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY TELECENTERS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The General Assembly finds that:
(1)	The e‑NC Authority, created in S.L. 2003‑425 to continue the work of the Rural Internet Access Authority, is successfully pursuing its mandated goals, increasing access to affordable high‑speed Internet, and creating 21st century jobs through technology‑based economic development in the rural areas and distressed urban areas of the State.
(2)	The e‑NC Business and Technology Telecenters (BTTs) serve as catalysts to technology‑based economic development in some of North Carolina's most distressed regions by helping to grow existing small businesses, bringing new kinds of businesses into rural communities and regions, stimulating and supporting entrepreneurship, and creating 21st century jobs.
(3)	e‑NC works successfully with local governments and educational institutions to strengthen their technology capacities and services to their communities, making available to the citizens technology services and resources, training, and public access to computers and the Internet.
SECTION 2.  Section 4 of S.L. 2003‑425 reads as rewritten:
"SECTION 4.  Sections 1 and 2 of this act become effective December 31, 2003, with the e‑NC Authority hereby designated as the successor entity of the Rural Internet Access Authority that will dissolve on that date, as provided by Section 5 of S.L. 2000‑149. The remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law. "
SECTION 3.(a)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the e‑NC Authority the sum of seven million five hundred thousand dollars ($7,500,000) for the 2006‑2007 fiscal year for Internet connectivity incentive grants. These funds shall not revert. It is the intent of the General Assembly that these funds shall be used to allow at least seventy percent (70%) of the households in each county to have the ability to access high‑speed Internet services by 2008. Funds for connectivity incentives should be committed to service providers by July 1, 2008. These incentive grants shall be competitive and shall require at least a fifty percent (50%) cash match from the participating service providers. Companies must ensure the number of additional households to be served as a result of this funding. The e‑NC Authority may use up to five percent (5%) of these funds to cover its expenses in grant letting and monitoring.
SECTION 3.(b)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the e‑NC Authority the sum of one million six hundred thousand dollars ($1,600,000) for the 2006‑2007 fiscal year for continued and expanded funding of the e‑NC Business and Technology Telecenter (BTT) program. The e‑NC Authority may use up to five percent (5%) of these funds to cover its expenses in program development and implementation of activity areas with the BTTs. The e‑NC Authority may contract with other State agencies, The University of North Carolina, the Community Colleges System Office, and nonprofit organizations to assist with BTT program development and the evaluation of program activities.
SECTION 3.(c)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the e‑NC Authority the sum of three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) for the 2006‑2007 fiscal year for competitive innovation grants to e‑communities, BTTs, and Local E‑government Utilization Program participants for the development of model programs and value‑added products that enhance the economy of their regions.
SECTION 4.  The e‑NC Authority shall work cooperatively with the following entities to carry out the purposes of this act: the Department of Commerce, The University of North Carolina, the Community Colleges System Office, the local councils of government, the local chambers of commerce, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, the North Carolina League of Municipalities, the Regional Economic Development Partnerships, local economic developers, and the private and nonprofit sectors. The e‑NC Authority shall make annual reports concerning its activities to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Information Technology and the information technology committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
SECTION 5.  Section 3 of this act becomes effective July 1, 2006. The remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law.