Connecticut 2021 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06573 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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7		-	General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 6573
	4	+	LCO No. 3662 1 of 5
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	6	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6573
8	7		January Session, 2021
	8	+	LCO No. 3662
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	10	+
	11	+	Referred to Committee on GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION
	12	+	AND ELECTIONS
	13	+
	14	+
	15	+	Introduced by:
	16	+	(GAE)
	17	+
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12	21		AN ACT CONCERNING TH E COMMISSION FOR EDU CATIONAL
13	22		TECHNOLOGY.
14	23		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
15	24		Assembly convened:
16	25
17	26		Section 1. Section 4d-80 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
18	27		following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 2
19	28		(a) There is established a Commission for Educational Technology 3
20	29		within the Department of Administrative Services. The commission 4
21	30		shall consist of the following members or their designees: (1) The 5
22	31		Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, the Commissioner of 6
23	32		Administrative Services, the Commissioner of Education, the 7
24	33		Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, the 8
25	34		president of The University of Connecticut and the president of the 9
26	35		Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, the State Librarian and the 10
27	36		Consumer Counsel, (2) one member each representing the Connecticut 11
28	37		Conference of Independent Colleges, the Connecticut Association of 12
29	38		Boards of Education, the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, the 13
30		-	Connecticut Council of Small Towns, [and] the Connecticut Library 14
	39	+	Connecticut Council of Small Towns, [and] the Connecticut Library 14 Raised Bill No. 6573
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31	45		Association, the Connecticut Association of Public School 15
32	46		Superintendents and the Connecticut Educators Computer Association, 16
33	47		(3) a secondary school teacher designated by the Connecticut Education 17
34	48		Association and an elementary school teacher designated by the 18
35		-	American Federation of Teachers–Connecticut, [(3)] (4) four members 19 Substitute Bill No. 6573
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	49	+	American Federation of Teachers–Connecticut, [(3)] (4) four members 19
42	50		who represent business or have expertise in information technology, 20
43	51		two of whom shall be appointed by the Governor, one of whom shall be 21
44	52		appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives and one of 22
45	53		whom shall be appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, 23
46	54		[(4)] (5) one member who is a chief elected official of a municipality, who 24
47	55		shall be appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, and [(5)] (6) one 25
48	56		member who is a representative of small business who shall be 26
49	57		appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives. The 27
50	58		commission shall convene a meeting at least once during each calendar 28
51	59		quarter. 29
52	60		(b) The Governor shall appoint a chairperson from among the 30
53	61		members of the commission or their designees. Subject to the provisions 31
54	62		of chapter 67, and within available appropriations, the commission may 32
55	63		appoint an executive director and such other employees as may be 33
56	64		necessary for the discharge of the duties of the commission. 34
57	65		Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, the executive 35
58	66		director shall have the option to elect participation in the state 36
59	67		employees retirement system, or the alternate retirement program 37
60	68		established for eligible employees in higher education or the teachers' 38
61	69		retirement system. 39
62	70		(c) The commission shall: 40
63	71		(1) Be the principal educational technology policy advisor for state 41
64	72		government; 42
65	73		(2) Develop, oversee and direct the attainment of state-wide 43
66	74		technology goals including: 44
67	75		(A) Connecting all institutions of higher education, libraries, public 45
68		-	elementary and secondary schools, regional educational service centers 46
	76	+	elementary and secondary schools, regional educational service centers 46 Raised Bill No. 6573
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69	82		and other parties through a state-wide high speed, flexible network that 47
70	83		will allow for video, voice and data transmission; 48
71	84		(B) Wiring all school classrooms and connecting them to the Internet 49
72		-	and to the state-wide [high speed] high-speed network through wired, 50 Substitute Bill No. 6573
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	85	+	and to the state-wide [high speed] high-speed network through wired, 50
79	86		wireless, or any other digital transmission technology providing [high 51
80	87		speed] high-speed connectivity; 52
81	88		(C) Providing access for all public schools, public libraries and 53
82	89		libraries at institutions of higher education to a core set of on-line full 54
83	90		text resources and to the ability to purchase collaboratively for other 55
84	91		collections in order to maximize buying power; 56
85	92		(D) Ensuring, in cooperation with the State Board of Education, 57
86	93		competency in computing skills by the sixth grade for all students; 58
87	94		(E) Ensuring competency in specific computing skills and the 59
88	95		integration of technology into the curriculum for all public school 60
89	96		teachers; 61
90	97		(F) Ensuring that institutions of higher education offer a wide range 62
91	98		of course and degree programs via the Internet and through other 63
92	99		synchronous and asynchronous methods; 64
93	100		(3) Coordinate the activities of all state agencies, educational 65
94	101		institutions and other parties involved in the creation and management 66
95	102		of a reliable and secure network that will offer connectivity and allow 67
96	103		for the transmission of video, voice and data transmission to every 68
97	104		library, school, regional educational service center and institution of 69
98	105		higher education; 70
99	106		(4) Be the liaison between the Governor and the General Assembly 71
100	107		and local, state and federal organizations and entities with respect to 72
101	108		educational technology matters; 73
102	109		(5) Develop and maintain a long-range plan and make related 74
103	110		recommendations for the coordination of educational technology. The 75
104		-	plan shall (A) establish clear goals and a strategy for using 76
	111	+	plan shall (A) establish clear goals and a strategy for using 76 Raised Bill No. 6573
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105	117		telecommunications and information technology to improve education, 77
106	118		(B) include a professional development strategy to ensure that teachers 78
107	119		and faculty know how to use the new technologies to improve 79
108		-	education, (C) include an assessment of the telecommunications, 80 Substitute Bill No. 6573
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	120	+	education, (C) include an assessment of the telecommunications, 80
115	121		hardware, software and other services that will be needed to improve 81
116	122		education, and (D) include an evaluation process that monitors progress 82
117	123		towards the specified goals; 83
118	124		(6) Measure the availability and usage of Internet access sites 84
119	125		available to the public, including, but not limited to, those maintained 85
120	126		by state and local government agencies, libraries, schools, institutions of 86
121	127		higher education, nonprofit organizations, businesses and other 87
122	128		organizations and recommend strategies for reducing the disparities in 88
123	129		Internet accessibility and usage across the state and among all potential 89
124	130		users; 90
125	131		(7) Establish methods and procedures to ensure the maximum 91
126	132		involvement of members of the public, educators, librarians, 92
127	133		representatives of higher education, the legislature and local officials in 93
128	134		educational technology matters and organize, as necessary, advisory 94
129	135		boards consisting of individuals with expertise in a particular discipline 95
130	136		significant to the work of the commission; 96
131		-	(8) On or before January [1, 2001, and~~] first,~~ annually~~, [~~thereafter, the 97
132		-	commission shall] report, in accordance with section 11-4a, on its 98
	137	+	(8) On or before January 1, 2001, and annually thereafter, the 97
	138	+	commission shall report, in accordance with section 11-4a, on its 98
133	139		activities, progress made in the attainment of the state-wide technology 99
134	140		goals as outlined in the long-range plan and any recommendations to 100
135	141		the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having 101
136	142		cognizance of matters relating to education and appropriations and the 102
137	143		budgets of state agencies, the State Board of Education, and the Board 103
138	144		of Regents for Higher Education. The report shall include 104
139	145		recommendations for adjustments to the funding formula for grants 105
140	146		pursuant to section 10-262n if there are school districts that are at a 106
141	147		disadvantage in terms of wiring their schools and the use of technology 107
142		-	in their schools; 108
	148	+	in their schools; 108 Raised Bill No. 6573
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143	154		(9) Enter into such contractual agreements, in accordance with 109
144	155		established procedures, as may be necessary to carry out the provisions 110
145		-	of this section; 111 Substitute Bill No. 6573
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	156	+	of this section; 111
152	157		(10) Take any other action necessary to carry out the provisions of this 112
153	158		section. 113
154	159		(d) The Commission for Educational Technology may request any 114
155	160		office, department, board, commission or other agency of the state to 115
156	161		supply such reports, information and assistance as may be necessary or 116
157	162		appropriate in order to carry out its duties and requirements. 117
158	163		(e) For purposes of this section, educational technology [shall 118
159	164		include] includes, but is not [be] limited to: (1) Computer-assisted 119
160	165		instruction; (2) information retrieval and data transfer; (3) 120
161	166		telecommunications related to voice, data and video transmission of 121
162	167		instruction related materials and courses; (4) the development and 122
163	168		acquisition of educational software; and (5) the instructional uses of the 123
164	169		Internet and other technologies. 124
165	170		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
166	171		sections:
167	172
168	173		Section 1 July 1, 2021 4d-80
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170		-	Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
171		-	In Subsec. (c)(8), the beginning of the first sentence was rewritten for
172		-	statutory consistency.
173		-
174		-	GAE Joint Favorable Subst. -LCO
	175	+	Statement of Purpose:
	176	+	To add additional members to the Commission for Educational
	177	+	Technology and make technical changes.
	178	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	179	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	180	+	underlined.]
175	181