093_HB2428

 
                                     LRB093 10192 SJM 10446 b

 1        AN ACT concerning technology.

 2        Be it enacted by the People of  the  State  of  Illinois,
 3    represented in the General Assembly:

 4        Section  5.   The  Eliminate  the  Digital  Divide Law is
 5    amended by adding Sections 5-50, 5-55, 5-60, 5-65,  and  5-70
 6    as follows:

 7        (30 ILCS 780/5-50 new)
 8        Sec. 5-50.  Community Technology Network Grants.
 9        (a)  Subject   to   appropriation,  the  Department  must
10    administer a special program of Community Technology  Network
11    Grants  in  coordination with the Community Technology Center
12    Grant Program.  The purpose  of  the  grants  is  to  provide
13    business  planning tools, sustainability planning assistance,
14    and  outcome  tracking  tools  and  services  for   community
15    technology centers and initiatives.  The focus of the program
16    shall  be  on the integration of centers and initiatives into
17    community  area-wide  networks  of  nonprofit  organizations;
18    public   agencies;   education,   library,    and    cultural
19    institutions;   and  businesses  and  chambers  of  commerce.
20    Grants  must  be  made  to  applicants  that  currently  have
21    broad-based community networks serving  multiple  communities
22    in   need,  and  that  will  provide  community  improvement,
23    community mapping, technology skill  development,  technology
24    staff  and volunteer development, educational content, health
25    and public safety or other network support.  The total amount
26    of  grants  awarded  in  fiscal  year  2004  may  not  exceed
27    $1,500,000.  An applicant for a grant under  this  subsection
28    may  also  apply  for  a grant under the Community Technology
29    Center Grant Program.
30        (b)  Subject to appropriation, the Department may  expend
31    not more than $2,500,000 in fiscal year 2004 to establish and
 
                            -2-      LRB093 10192 SJM 10446 b
 1    support  a  Statewide  Community Technology Center Network to
 2    (i) assist in local  and  regional  planning  and  evaluation
 3    under  this  Law,  (ii)  support coordination among community
 4    technology center initiatives, community  computer  recycling
 5    center  network  activities, community-university information
 6    extension   activities,   (iii)   plan   for   public-private
 7    sustainability of community technology centers and  community
 8    information  networks,  and  (iv) match or coordinate funding
 9    support for statewide activities to improve the capacity  and
10    productivity  of  community  technology centers, initiatives,
11    and networks.

12        (30 ILCS 780/5-55 new)
13        Sec. 5-55. Community  Computer  Recycling  Network  Grant
14    Program.
15        (a)  Subject   to   appropriation,  the  Department  must
16    administer the Community Computer  Recycling  Center  Network
17    Grant Program under which the Department shall make grants in
18    accordance  with  this  Law  for the planning, establishment,
19    administration,  and  expansion  of   community,   area-wide,
20    countywide,  and  multi-countywide  networks  of centers that
21    undertake community computer recycling, refurbishment, earned
22    technology,  technology-based  training,   small   technology
23    business  programs, and community and nonprofit institutional
24    distribution  programs   for   low-income   and   underserved
25    populations.   Grants  shall  be  made to networks of centers
26    that (i) work together to serve  their  areas  or  districts,
27    (ii)  link  those  programs  to social services, health care,
28    public safety, housing, and  basic  human  resource  networks
29    that   support   improvement  in  the  quality  of  lives  of
30    individuals, families, and the nonprofit institutions,  (iii)
31    are   part  of  the  community  support  networks,  and  (iv)
32    coordinate  activities  with  grantees  of  the  Department's
33    Illinois Recycling  Grants  Program.   The  total  amount  of
 
                            -3-      LRB093 10192 SJM 10446 b
 1    grants awarded under this Section in fiscal year 2004 may not
 2    exceed  $2,000,000.  No network may receive a grant in excess
 3    of $75,000.
 4        (b)  Subject  to  appropriation,  the  Department   shall
 5    expend  not  more  than  $200,000  in  fiscal  year  2004  to
 6    establish   and   support   a  Statewide  Community  Computer
 7    Recycling  Network  in  coordination  with  other   statewide
 8    community  technology support initiatives and with a focus on
 9    the development and adoption  of  standardized  software  and
10    hardware   licensing   agreements  for  the  use  of  donated
11    computers    and    other     technology     by     nonprofit
12    institution-managed  programs  for  community  recycling  and
13    earned computer programs.

14        (30 ILCS 780/5-60 new)
15        Sec.    5-60.    Community-Higher  Education  Information
16    Extension Program.  Subject to  appropriation,  the  Illinois
17    Century Network, in cooperation with the Department, must:
18             (1)  Establish    a    Community-Higher    Education
19        Information Extension Consortium that will link community
20        and  social  service  nonprofit  organizations, including
21        community technology centers, chambers of  commerce,  and
22        economic development organizations.  The Community-Higher
23        Education Information Extension Consortium shall focus on
24        building  local  human  resource  networks  and  computer
25        technology  user networks that link community, education,
26        business, and public agencies  in  local  communities  or
27        district  areas  with  not fewer than 60,000 and not more
28        than  250,000  residents.   The  Consortium  shall   also
29        develop a special planning initiative to link the current
30        Illinois   Century  Network  learning  institutions  with
31        community  institutions  that   have   an   interest   in
32        connection  to  the  Illinois  Century  Network's learner
33        information  networks.   For   the   purposes   of   this
 
                            -4-      LRB093 10192 SJM 10446 b
 1        paragraph,    "Illinois    Century    Network    learning
 2        institution"   means   any   schools,   higher  education
 3        institutions, libraries, and cultural institutions in the
 4        State included in the Illinois Century Network.
 5             (2)  Conduct  planning   and   program   development
 6        activities  for  the  current  Illinois  Century  Network
 7        community-higher    education    and   community-learning
 8        institutions  in  each  district  and  subdistrict   that
 9        involve  the  development of local consortia of community
10        institutions and the preparation and  recommendations  on
11        cooperative  activities  statewide  and for each district
12        and subdistrict.

13        (30 ILCS 780/5-65 new)
14        Sec.   5-65.    Technology    planning.     Subject    to
15    appropriation,  the  Department,  working  with  the Illinois
16    Century Network, the Governor's Office of  Technology,  other
17    public  agencies,  and  a cross-section of private community,
18    nonprofit, and business sector parties, in person and through
19    distance learning and  on-line  communications,  must  review
20    developments  in priorities for community technology planning
21    and support by federal agencies, including the United  States
22    Department  of  Commerce,  the  United  States  Department of
23    Education, the United States Department of Housing and  Urban
24    Development,  the  United  States  Department of Justice, the
25    United States Department of Health and  Human  Services,  and
26    other  federal agencies and federally-supported programs, and
27    must prepare  recommendations  concerning  the  best  use  of
28    State-funded   community   technology   programs  to  provide
29    sustainability planning  in  relation  to  federal  programs.
30    During  the  course  of  the  review,  at  least one distance
31    learning conference using the preliminary  findings  must  be
32    conducted  at  locations  around the State in order to obtain
33    public   comments   on   the   findings.    A   report    and
 
                            -5-      LRB093 10192 SJM 10446 b
 1    recommendations  must  be completed no later than December 1,
 2    2003 in order to assist in planning for the State budget  for
 3    fiscal year 2005.

 4        (30 ILCS 780/5-70 new)
 5        Sec. 5-70.  Community-based technology job training.
 6        (a)   Subject  to  appropriation,  the  Department  must,
 7    through grants,  support  the  development  and  delivery  of
 8    community-based  technology  job training initiatives to help
 9    disadvantaged job seekers and low-wage and displaced  workers
10    in Illinois with one or more of the following:
11             (1)  Obtaining  technology workplace literacy skills
12        and other technology job readiness skills  identified  by
13        an  individual  employer  or by an industrial sector, and
14        obtaining initial employment.
15             (2) Developing technology job and career  management
16        skills,  as demonstrated by employer-endorsed credentials
17        and portfolios of proven work experience,  and  obtaining
18        and retaining stable employment.
19             (3)   Advancing   in  employment  through  certified
20        technology skills, necessary work experience, and  career
21        management skills that meet the needs of employers.
22        Eligible  applicants  for  community-based technology job
23    training  grants   include   community-based   organizations,
24    community  technology  centers,  and  community colleges that
25    primarily  serve  low-income  persons  and  that   facilitate
26    working  partnerships  with  employers in both technology and
27    non-technology sectors.
28        (b) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall expend
29    not more the $4,000,000 in any fiscal  year  to  make  grants
30    under this Section.

31        Section  99.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect upon
32    becoming law.