SLS 14RS-71 ORIGINAL
Page 1 of 6
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
Regular Session, 2014
SENATE BILL NO. 345
BY SENATOR CROWE
FUNDS/FUNDING. Dedicates certain Deepwater Horizon oil spill fines to provide public
elementary and secondary schools with full wireless digital technology capabilities for the
classroom. (7/1/14)
AN ACT1
To amend and reenact R.S. 17:354(A) and to enact R.S. 17:354(C), relative to the Academic2
Improvement Fund; to provide for the deposit of certain monies into the fund from3
the Deepwater Horizon oil spill; to provide for the creation of the School Technology4
Improvement Account; to provide for the transfer of monies in the fund to the5
account; to provide for the use of monies in the School Technology Improvement6
Account; to provide for the creation of the School Technology Steering Committee;7
to provide for the membership of the School Technology Steering Committee; to8
provide for the duties and responsibilities of the School Technology Steering9
Committee; to provide for the distribution of monies in the School Technology10
Improvement Account; to provide for an effective date; and to provide for related11
matters.12
Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:13
Section 1. R.S. 17:354(A) is hereby amended and reenacted and R.S. 17:354(C) is14
hereby enacted to read as follows:15
ยง354. Academic Improvement Fund; creation; purpose; uses16
A.(1) The "Academic Improvement Fund", hereinafter referred to as the17 SB NO. 345
SLS 14RS-71 ORIGINAL
Page 2 of 6
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
"fund", is hereby created within the state treasury. The source of monies deposited1
into the fund shall be legislative appropriation. Monies in the fund shall be subject2
to appropriation by the legislature and shall be available exclusively for programs3
which provide opportunities to students to acquire the skills to achieve academic4
success and become employable, productive, and responsible citizens.5
(2) There is hereby created in the Academic Improvement Fund an6
account to be known as the School Technology Improvement Account,7
hereinafter referred to as the "account".8
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of R.S. 49:214.5.4(I), the treasurer is9
hereby authorized and directed to deposit into the Academic Improvement10
Fund the first three hundred million dollars from any monies received by the11
state for violations pursuant to Section 311 of the Federal Water Pollution12
Control Act, 33 U.S.C. 1321; R.S. 30:2025(E)(1) and (2); and R.S. 30:2001 et13
seq., including R.S. 30:2071 et seq., associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil14
spill that began on April 20, 2010. Any monies in the fund received from the15
Deepwater Horizon oil spill shall be transferred to the School Technology16
Improvement Account to ensure that all public elementary and secondary17
schools achieve full wireless digital capabilities, as provided in Subsection (C)18
of this Section.19
* * *20
C.(1) Monies in the School Technology Improvement Account shall be21
annually appropriated by the legislature for expenditure as further provided in22
this Subsection exclusively for the purposes of ensuring that all public23
elementary and secondary schools in the state have full wireless digital24
capabilities, including but not limited to the purchase and installation of any25
computers, servers, routers, equipment, hardware, software, broadband access26
through wide area networks (WANs) and local area networks (LANs), and other27
required technology, as may be necessary based on the most recent edition of28
the Local Education Authorities (LEA) Technology Readiness Assessments of29 SB NO. 345
SLS 14RS-71 ORIGINAL
Page 3 of 6
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
the Louisiana Department of Education. Such improvements should follow the1
technology footprint that charts individual public school districts' readiness;2
school-by-school analysis to determine how each school stands relative to digital3
readiness; and assessment of technology acquisition support including4
discounted technology contracts available to all schools or e-rate application5
support for all districts.6
(2) To implement these provisions the School Technology Steering7
Committee, hereinafter referred to as the "committee" shall be formed within8
thirty days after the date of initial deposit of monies into the account. The9
committee shall consist of the following members:10
(a) One member of the Louisiana Senate, selected by the president.11
(b) One member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, selected by12
the speaker.13
(c) The chief information officer for the Louisiana Department of14
Education, or his designee.15
(d) The chief technology advisor from the Louisiana Optical Network16
Initiative (LONI) Management Council, or his designee.17
(e) The chief information officer (CIO) for the Division of18
Administration, or his designee.19
(f) One representative with information technology expertise from each20
of the eight districts of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education21
(BESE); such representatives shall be selected by the governor from a list of22
three candidates recommended from each district by the Louisiana Association23
of School Superintendents.24
(3) The committee shall be staffed by the employees of the Louisiana25
Department of Education responsible for the publication of the Local Education26
Authorities (LEA) Technology Readiness Assessments.27
(4) Within sixty days of the date of initial deposit of monies into the28
account, the committee shall meet to organize and shall elect from its29 SB NO. 345
SLS 14RS-71 ORIGINAL
Page 4 of 6
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
membership a chairman. The committee shall meet as often thereafter as1
deemed necessary by the chairman. Members shall serve without salary, per2
diem, or any other expenses.3
(a) At its first meeting the committee shall begin to develop a needs4
analysis, implementation timetable, and funding allocation plan that will ensure5
each public elementary and secondary school has available all necessary digital6
technology to achieve and to maintain full wireless digital capabilities in terms7
of device readiness across all schools and all districts with respect to internet8
capacity, and with respect to network capabilities.9
(b) The committee shall prepare a report comprising the analysis, the10
implementation timetable, and the funding allocation plan within six months11
after the date of its first meeting. Each year the report shall be updated to12
reflect changes in the implementation timetable and the funding allocation plan.13
(5) Each year the finished report shall then be submitted to the Senate14
Committee on Education and the House Committee on Education meeting15
separately or jointly for review.16
(6) Annually, the monies appropriated pursuant to these provisions will17
be distributed upon approval of the report by the Joint Legislative Committee18
on the Budget and the funding allocation plan submitted by the School19
Technology Steering Committee.20
(7) The School Technology Steering Committee shall be abolished and21
cease to exist after the total three hundred million dollars has been deposited22
into the fund and distributed to the public elementary and postsecondary23
schools of the state to achieve the purposes set out in this Subsection.24
Section 2. This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2014. If vetoed by the governor25
and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become effective on July 1,26
2014, or on the day following such approval by the legislature, whichever is later.27 SB NO. 345
SLS 14RS-71 ORIGINAL
Page 5 of 6
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jay R Lueckel.
DIGEST
Crowe (SB 345)
Present law provides for the creation, purpose, and uses of the Academic Improvement Fund.
Proposed law retains present law and further provides for the creation of the School
Technology Improvement Account and for the deposit of three hundred million dollars from
any monies received by the state for violations associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil
spill event into the account to be used to ensure full wi-fi compliance for all public schools
within the state.
Proposed law provides that monies in the School Technology Improvement Account shall
be appropriated for the purposes of ensuring that all public elementary and secondary
schools in the state have full wireless digital capabilities, including but not limited to the
purchase and installation of any computers, servers, routers, equipment, hardware, software,
and other required technology, as may be necessary based on the most recent edition of the
Local Education Authorities (LEA) Technology Readiness Assessments. Proposed law
provides that such improvements should follow the technology footprint charted for
individual public elementary and secondary school districts relative to district readiness,
school-by-school readiness, and technology acquisition support assessment.
Proposed law provides that to implement these provisions the School Technology Steering
Committee shall be formed within thirty days after the date of initial deposit of monies into
the account. The committee shall consist of the following members:
(1)One member of the Louisiana Senate, selected by the president.
(2)One member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, selected by the speaker.
(3)The chief information officer for the Louisiana Department of Education, or his
designee.
(4)The chief technology advisor from the Louisiana Optical Network Initiative (LONI)
Management Council, or his designee.
(5)The chief information officer for the Division of Administration, or his designee.
(6)One representative with information technology expertise from each of the eight
districts of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), and such
representatives shall be selected by the governor from a list of three candidates
recommended from each district by the Louisiana Association of School
Superintendents.
Proposed law provides that the committee shall be staffed by the employees of the Louisiana
Department of Education responsible for the publication of the Local Education Authorities
(LEA) Technology Readiness Assessments.
Proposed law provides that within sixty days of the date of initial deposit of monies into the
account, the committee shall meet to organize and shall elect from its membership a
chairman. The committee shall meet as often thereafter as deemed necessary by the
chairman. Members shall serve without salary, per diem, or any other expenses.
Proposed law provides that the committee shall begin to develop a needs analysis, an
implementation timetable, and funding allocation plan that will ensure each public
elementary and secondary school has available all necessary digital technology to achieve SB NO. 345
SLS 14RS-71 ORIGINAL
Page 6 of 6
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.
and to maintain full wireless digital capabilities, including an accounting of all funding
necessary to accomplish these objectives.
Proposed law provides that the committee shall prepare a report comprising the analysis, the
implementation timetable, and the funding allocation plan within six months after the date
of its first meeting. Each year the report shall be updated to reflect changes in the
implementation timetable and the funding allocation plan.
Proposed law provides that each year the finished report shall then be submitted to the
Senate Committee on Education and the House Committee on Education meeting separately
or jointly for its review.
Proposed law further provides that monies appropriated each year will be distributed upon
approval by the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget of the report and the funding
allocation plan submitted by the School Technology Steering Committee.
Proposed law provides that the School Technology Steering Committee shall be abolished
and cease to exist after the total three hundred million dollars has been deposited into the
fund and distributed to the public elementary and postsecondary schools of the state to
achieve the purposes set out in this Subsection.
Effective July 1, 2014.
(Amends R.S. 17:354(A) and adds17:354(C))