HB 1337 2022
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to student access to inter net 2
connections and technology ; creating s. 1000.09, F.S.; 3
establishing the Digital Inclusion Technology 4
Development Initiative; providing the purpose and goal 5
of the initiative; providing for funding; requiring 6
the initiative to submit an annual report by a 7
specified date to the Governor, the Legislature, and 8
the Commissioner of Education; establishing the 9
Initiative Educational Technology Advisory Council; 10
providing for the meetings, membership, terms of 11
office, and compensation of the council; providing for 12
expiration of the initiative; providing 13
appropriations; providing an effective date. 14
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 16
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Section 1. Section 1000.09, Florida Statutes, is created 18
to read: 19
1000.09 Digital Inclusion Technology Development 20
Initiative; Initiative Educational Technology Advisory Council. — 21
(1) The Digital Incl usion Technology Development 22
Initiative is established as a partnership between the 23
Department of Education and an organization of its choosing. 24
(a) The purpose of the initiative is to develop 25
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
technologies and various approaches to bridge the divide of 26
Internet inequality throughout the state. 27
(b) The goal of the initiative is to develop and implement 28
technologies, strategies, and programs to ensure the state's 29
students, regardless of economic status or geographic location, 30
have access to quality intern et connections and the technologies 31
needed to succeed in today's educational environment. 32
(c) Funds specifically appropriated by the Legislature for 33
the initiative shall be awarded by the department to the 34
selected entity to achieve the goals of the init iative. 35
1. The organization may, with the concurrence of the 36
department, use a portion of the awarded funds to facilitate 37
additional engagement with other pertinent organizations in the 38
state and around the world to pursue the purpose of the 39
initiative. 40
2. The organization may not use more than 5 percent of its 41
awarded funds for direct annual initiative administration 42
coordination costs. 43
3. The initiative shall leverage state -appropriated funds 44
with additional funds from private and federal sources. 45
(d) Beginning January 15, 2024, and each January 15 46
thereafter until its expiration, the initiative shall submit a 47
report that contains an overview of its accomplishments to date 48
and priorities for subsequent years to the Governor, the 49
President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of 50
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Representatives, and the Commissioner of Education. 51
(2) There is established within the initiative the 52
Initiative Educational Technology Advisory Council, an advisory 53
council as defined in s. 20.03(7), which includes edu cation and 54
technology development representatives from governmental 55
entities, private organizations, and public or private research 56
institutions. The council shall meet at least twice annually. 57
(a) The council shall be chaired by the governing officer 58
of the entity selected by the department for the initiative and 59
shall consist of the following: 60
1. One member from a private technology company, appointed 61
by the Governor. 62
2. One member from a public or private university in the 63
state, appointed by the President of the Senate. 64
3. One member from a public or private university in the 65
state, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 66
4. Two members from the Department of Education who have 67
expertise in educational technologies, appointed by the 68
commissioner. 69
(b) Council members shall serve staggered 2 -year terms and 70
may be reappointed. 71
(c) Council members shall serve without compensation, and 72
each organization represented shall cover all expenses of its 73
respective representative. 74
(3) This section expires June 30, 2027. 75
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Section 2. Beginning in the 2022 -2023 fiscal year, and for 76
each fiscal year thereafter through the 2026 -2027 fiscal year, 77
there is appropriated the sum of $3 million from the General 78
Revenue Fund to the Department of Education for the purpose of 79
implementing s. 1000.09, Florida Statutes. 80
Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 81