| 1 | The PreK-12 Committee recommends the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Council/Committee Substitute |
| 4 | Remove the entire bill and insert: |
| 5 | A bill to be entitled |
| 6 | An act relating to discounted computers and Internet |
| 7 | access for students; creating a program to offer |
| 8 | discounted computers and Internet access to public school |
| 9 | students in grades 5 through 12; requiring the Department |
| 10 | of Education to negotiate terms with computer |
| 11 | manufacturers and broadband Internet access providers; |
| 12 | requiring the department to adopt rules, including rules |
| 13 | for provision of technical training to students; requiring |
| 14 | the Digital Divide Council to implement a pilot project to |
| 15 | assist low-income students with purchasing discounted |
| 16 | computers and Internet access services; requiring the |
| 17 | council to identify eligibility criteria for participation |
| 18 | in the pilot project; providing for funding and |
| 19 | authorizing the council to accept grants to implement the |
| 20 | pilot project; providing an effective date. |
| 21 |
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| 22 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 23 |
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| 24 | Section 1. Discounted computers and Internet access for |
| 25 | students.-- |
| 26 | (1) There is created a program to offer computers and |
| 27 | Internet access at a discounted price to students enrolled in |
| 28 | grades 5 through 12 in a public school in the state. |
| 29 | (2) The Department of Education shall negotiate with |
| 30 | computer manufacturers concerning: |
| 31 | (a) The prices of discounted computers and whether |
| 32 | computer accessories such as printers or scanners will be |
| 33 | offered to the students at reduced prices. |
| 34 | (b) Specialized software and hardware packages, including, |
| 35 | but not limited to: |
| 36 | 1. A word processor; |
| 37 | 2. Software and hardware necessary to enable broadband |
| 38 | Internet access; and |
| 39 | 3. An operating system. |
| 40 | (c) The type of warranty that is to be provided to the |
| 41 | students and whether an extended warranty will be available to |
| 42 | the students and under what terms. |
| 43 | (3) The Department of Education shall negotiate with |
| 44 | broadband Internet access providers concerning the prices of |
| 45 | discounted broadband Internet access packages. In areas in which |
| 46 | broadband Internet access is not currently available, the |
| 47 | department shall negotiate with non-broadband Internet access |
| 48 | providers. |
| 49 | (4) The Department of Education shall adopt rules |
| 50 | concerning: |
| 51 | (a) How to integrate into this program the provision of |
| 52 | computer or technical training to students in their respective |
| 53 | school districts. |
| 54 | (b) How parents and students may be notified of the |
| 55 | discounted computer and Internet access choices available. |
| 56 | (c) The distribution of eligibility certificates to the |
| 57 | students, the locations at which discounted computers and |
| 58 | Internet access services are available for purchase, and how |
| 59 | students may obtain and pay for the equipment and services |
| 60 | covered by this program. |
| 61 | Section 2. Discounted computers and Internet access for |
| 62 | low-income students; pilot project.-- |
| 63 | (1) The Digital Divide Council, in consultation with the |
| 64 | Department of Education, shall implement a pilot project to |
| 65 | assist low-income students to purchase discounted computers and |
| 66 | Internet access services as negotiated by the department. The |
| 67 | council shall identify counties, grade levels, and low-income |
| 68 | eligibility criteria for participation in the pilot project. |
| 69 | (2) The pilot project shall be funded in an amount to be |
| 70 | determined in the General Appropriations Act. The Digital Divide |
| 71 | Council is authorized to accept grants from additional public |
| 72 | and private sources to implement the pilot project. |
| 73 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2005. |