Signed by Governor Jared Polis

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with senate amendments and pass a bill that appropriates funds for grants to improve broadband internet access for preschool education.

Highlights:

• Expands internet access for students, educators, and other staff, which may include (Sec. 1-1.a):

• Subscribing for broadband service to provide internet access for students, educators, and other staff;

• Providing devices to access the internet;

• Purchasing data plans for students,, educators, and others staff;

• Increasing the availability of internet access using wireless fidelity, or wi-fi, antennas; mobile hotspots; satellite connections;

• Providing other technologies capable of delivering broadband service; and

• Addressing broadband infrastructure needs in communities in which broadband service is significantly limited or not available.

• Requires local education providers to submit a grant application to the department. Each application must include (Sec. 1-2): 

• A description of how the local education provider has consulted with educators and other school-level and administrative staff and with broadband service providers in preparing the application; 

• A description of the programs, including any free resources, that the local education provider has previously accessed to provide internet access for students, educators, and other staff; 

• A description of the broadband service that the local education provider makes available to students, educators, and other staff at the time of application, including the use of free resources;

• A description of the internet access needs of students, educators, and other staff that are necessary to enable effective online teaching and learning and that the local education provider is unable to meet at the time of application; 

• The local education provider's proposed plan to meet the internet access needs of students, educators, and other staff, including whether the local education provider is seeking to improve internet access;

• The timeline by which the local education provider expects to spend the grant money to complete the proposed plan to meet the internet access needs of students, educators, and other staff;

• An estimate of the total cost of the broadband service and, if included in the grant application, devices to access the internet, including the quantity and cost per unit, that the local education provider requires to provide sufficient internet access for students, educators, and other staff to enable effective online teaching and learning; and

• The number and overall percentages of students, educators, and other staff.

Full Bill Text