A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to implement the recommendations of the Business Education technology alliance.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

part i.  DEFINITIONS

SECTION 1.  The following definitions apply in this act:
(1)	E‑learning. – Electronic learning that includes a wide set of applications and processes, such as Web‑based learning, computer‑based learning, virtual classrooms, and digital collaboration. It includes the delivery of content via Internet, intranet/extranet (LAN/WAN), audiotape, videotape, satellite broadcast, interactive television, and CD‑ROM.
(2)	e‑NC Authority. – The e‑NC Authority established in Part 2F of Article 10 of Chapter 143B of the General Statutes.
(3)	E‑Rate. – The mechanism to provide discount rates to support universal telecommunications services for use by schools and libraries as provided in section 254 of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996.

part Ii.  plan and funding for a virtual high school

SECTION 2.(a)  The State Board of Education, the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, the Independent Colleges and Universities, and the State Board of Community Colleges shall develop E‑learning standards and plans for infrastructures that provide virtual learning opportunities accessible to students and other citizens through all North Carolina schools, universities, and community colleges. In developing the plan for the public schools, the State Board of Education shall focus initially on high schools while also researching and developing, where appropriate, E‑learning for middle schools, junior high schools, and elementary schools. E‑learning programs shall support both teachers and students.
SECTION 2.(b)  It is the intent of the General Assembly to give public schools the highest priority in funding for and development of E‑learning. Funding for E‑learning should be a new appropriation and not come exclusively from existing funds.
SECTION 2.(c)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Public Instruction the sum of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for the 2005‑2006 fiscal year.  The State Board of Education shall use these funds to establish and implement during the 2005‑2006 school year a pilot virtual high school.
SECTION 2.(d)  If the pilot program is successful, it is the intent of the General Assembly to provide funding to implement a virtual high school on a statewide basis for the 2006‑2007 fiscal year.

part iIi.  feasibility study for developing regional EDUCATION networks

SECTION 3.(a)  The North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center and the e‑NC Authority, in collaboration with representatives from local school administrative units, The University of North Carolina, the State Board of Education, the State Chief Information Officer, and the Community College System shall perform a feasibility study on developing regional education networks that are centrally managed to provide and sustain broadband connectivity to individual students and teachers in schools, community colleges, and universities.
The study shall include an evaluation of existing technology infrastructures, such as the statewide infrastructure, the North Carolina Research and Education Network, or the regional infrastructure, Winston‑Net. These state‑of‑the‑art infrastructures may be capable of supporting growth in traffic and thus serve as a backbone infrastructure for delivering high‑speed access to underserved regions.
The North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center and the e‑NC Authority shall report the results of the study to the Regular 2006 Session of the 2005 General Assembly.
SECTION 3.(b)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the 2005‑2006 fiscal year to perform the feasibility study pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

part iV.  plan for projecting school technology funding needs

SECTION 4.(a)  G.S. 115C‑102.6A(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	Components of the State school technology plan shall include at least the following:
…
(17)	A baseline template for:
a.	Technology infrastructure including broadband connectivity, personnel recommendations, and other resources needed to operate effectively from the classroom desktop to local, regional, and State networks, and
b.	An evaluation component that provides for local school administrative unit accountability for maintaining quality upgradeable systems."
SECTION 4.(b)  Before November 2005, the Department of Public Instruction shall hold regional workshops for local school administrative units to provide guidance in developing local school system technology plans that meet the criteria established in the State school technology plan, including the components added under subsection (a) of this section. The State Chief Information Officer will assist with the regional meetings as needed to provide technical assistance.
SECTION 4.(c)  G.S. 115C‑102.7 is amended by adding the following new subsection to read:
"(c)	The Department of Public Instruction shall randomly check local school system technology plans to ensure that local school administrative units are implementing their plans as approved. The Department shall report to the State Board of Education and the State Chief Information Officer on which local school administrative units are not complying with their plans. The report shall include the reasons these local school administrative units are out of compliance and a recommended plan of action to support each of these local school administrative units in carrying out their plans."
SECTION 4.(d)  The State Board of Education shall determine the total amount of funds needed for the recurring total cost of ownership to implement, maintain, and upgrade technology infrastructures and instructional technology as specified in the revised local school system technology plans. This shall include personnel costs for both technical and instructional needs so that a three‑ to five‑year budget plan can be developed for the General Assembly.
SECTION 4.(e)  The State Board of Education also shall study and identify the types of resources needed to operate schools designed to meet the needs of twenty-first century learners.
The State Board shall report the results of this study to the Regular 2006 Session of the 2005 General Assembly.

part v.  annual report that highlights the IMPACT of education preparation on economic growth

SECTION 5.  The North Carolina Board of Science and Technology shall provide an annual report by county on the status of trends that reflect the impact of education on economic growth for the twenty-first century. This report shall be available for citizens and shall contain information about the status of each county with regard to education and economic growth.

part vI.  process for more assistance for e‑rate

SECTION 6.  2IIn order to provide assistance to local school administrative units with E‑rate applications, the Department of Public Instruction shall, within existing funds, ensure that a minimum of one full‑time coordinator who has technical knowledge and skills is assigned this responsibility. The Department shall notify local school administrative units about the person or office assigned the responsibility of providing assistance with E‑rate applications.
The Department shall provide the State Board of Education with an annual report on E‑rate, including funding, commitments, and enrollment by local school administrative units.

part viI.  planning for a state central INFRASTRUCTURE office

SECTION 7.(a)  The Office of State Budget and Management shall conduct a study to determine the feasibility of establishing a State Central Infrastructure Office that would collect and manage information for technology, water, sewer, and other utility infrastructures needed to assist communities in becoming and remaining economically viable. 
SECTION 7.(b)  The Office of State Budget and Management shall report the results of this study to the Regular 2006 Session of the 2005 General Assembly.  The report shall include legislative proposals, including a proposal to define the term "infrastructure" in the General Statutes to include technology.

part viiI.  effective date

SECTION 8.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2005.