A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT (1) appropriating funds to the e‑nc authority for creation of jobs and businesses by continuation of e‑nc activities to support infrastructure deployment and technology‑based economic development in the rural and distressed urban areas of the state and for the development of two additional e‑nc business And technology telecenters; and (2) providing that all members of the e‑NC governing commission may vote; and extending the December 31, 2006, sunset date for the e‑nc authority.
Whereas, the gap in household computer ownership between white Americans and black Americans has narrowed from 30 points to 5 points; and
Whereas, overall Internet penetration in North Carolina has moved from well below the national average to above the national average; and
Whereas, Internet penetration in nonmetropolitan North Carolina now exceeds the national average; and
Whereas, home Internet use has increased dramatically in North Carolina with the fastest increases in rural and nonmetropolitan counties; and
Whereas, home use of broadband is growing rapidly in North Carolina; and
Whereas, nonmetropolitan North Carolina is going "high speed" faster than the rest of the nonmetropolitan United States, with 32 percent of home Internet users in nonmetropolitan counties linked to the Internet via broadband in 2004, which is an increase of 15 percent from 2002; and
Whereas, the e‑NC Authority (formerly the Rural Internet Access Authority) has worked over the past four years to help North Carolinians accomplish these technological advancements; Now, therefore,
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The General Assembly finds that:
(1)	The e‑NC Authority, created by the General Assembly 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 twenty-first century jobs through technology‑based economic development in the rural and distressed urban areas of the State.
(2)	The e‑NC Business and Technology Telecenters are catalyzing 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 twenty-first century jobs. The e‑NC Business and Technology Telecenters have created 488 jobs in less than 30 months at an average cost of eight thousand five hundred thirty‑seven dollars ($8,537) per job.
(3)	The e‑NC is successfully working with local governments and educational institutions to strengthen their technology capacities and services to their communities by making available to the public technology services and resources, training, and public access to computers and the Internet. Over 18 months, the initial four e‑NC Business and Technology Telecenters have provided technical assistance to 1,000 public and private sector clients, technology‑incubation space to 33 companies, public access to 50,000 citizens, and digital technology literacy training to 10,500 people in more than 900 classes.
(4)	As found by the 2003 General Assembly, an organized effort must continue to ensure that the citizens of North Carolina keep pace with the ever faster technological changes in telecommunications and information networks in order to assure the economic competitiveness of North Carolina, with special focus on rural and urban distressed areas.
(5)	As found by the 2003 General Assembly, affordable, high‑speed Internet access is a key competitive factor for economic development and quality of life in the new economy of the global marketplace.
SECTION 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the e‑NC Authority the sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for the 2005‑2006 fiscal year and the sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for the 2006‑2007 fiscal year for operations of the e‑NC Authority.  
SECTION 3.(a)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the e‑NC Authority the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) for the 2005‑2006 fiscal year to establish two e‑NC Business and Technology Telecenters in distressed regions of the State.
SECTION 3.(b)  The e‑NC Authority may:
(1)	Use up to five percent (5%) of the funds appropriated by this section for Business and Technology Telecenters to cover its expenses in program development and implementation of activity areas with all of the e‑NC Business and Technology Telecenters.
(2)	Contract with other State agencies, The University of North Carolina, the North Carolina Community College System, and nonprofit organizations to assist with program development and the evaluation of program activities.
SECTION 4.  The e‑NC Authority shall cooperate and work with the Department of Commerce, The University of North Carolina, the North Carolina Community College System, the local councils of government, the local chambers of commerce, the local economic developers, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, the North Carolina League of Municipalities, the Regional Economic Development Partnerships, and with the private and nonprofit sectors in carrying out this act.
SECTION 5.  G.S. 143B‑437.46(b) reads as rewritten:
"(b)	Commission. – The Authority shall be governed by a Commission. The Commission shall consist of 15 voting members, as follows:
(1)	Three members appointed by the Governor.
(2)	Three members appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate in accordance with G.S. 120‑121.
(3)	Three members appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Speaker of the House of Representatives in accordance with G.S. 120‑121.
(4)	Six ex officio members to include the Secretary of Commerce, the State Chief Information Officer, the President of the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, Inc., the Executive Director of the North Carolina Justice and Community Development Center, the Executive Director of the North Carolina League of Municipalities, the Executive Director of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, or their designees.
It is the intent of the General Assembly that the appointing authorities, in making appointments, shall consider members who represent the geographic, gender, and racial diversity of the State, members who represent rural counties, members who represent distressed urban areas, members who represent the regional partnerships, and members who represent the communications industry. For the purpose of this subsection, the term "communications industry" includes local telephone exchange companies, rural telephone cooperatives, Internet service providers, commercial wireless communications carriers, cable television companies, satellite companies, and other communications businesses."
SECTION 6.  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. The e‑NC Authority created in this act is dissolved effective December 31, 2006. This act is repealed effective  June 30, 2007. Part 2F of Article 10 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes and G.S. 120‑123(77), as enacted by this act, are repealed effective June 30, 2007."
SECTION 7.  Sections 2 and 3 of this act become effective July 1, 2005. The remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law.