Amended in Assembly April 23, 2014

California Legislature—2013–14 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2437

Introduced by Assembly Member Hagman

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(Coauthor: Assembly Member Maienschein)

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February 21, 2014

An act to add begin delete Section 60644.5 to end delete begin insert Article 15 (commencing with Section 17079.35) to Chapter 12.5 of Part 10 of Division 1 of Title 1 of end insert the Education Code, relating to begin delete pupil assessment, end delete begin insert school infrastructure, end insert and making an appropriation therefor.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2437, as amended, Hagman. begin delete Pupil assessment: school end delete begin insert School infrastructure: end insert network infrastructure.

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Existing law establishes various programs to measure and assess the academic performance of pupils.

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Existing law authorizes the California School Financing Authority to revenue bonds in an amount not to exceed $400 million repaid from a dedicated portions of funds allocated to school districts from the California State Lottery Education Fund for the purposes of establishing computer-based networks and telecommunications systems for instructional purposes, including the procurement and installation of computer hardware and software, multimedia audio, video, and data transfer equipment, and wiring, cabling, and other equipment necessary to establish network connectivity, and any planning and installation costs associated with establishing and installing the networks.

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This bill would require the State Department of Education to establish a competitive grant program to provide grants for the construction of network infrastructure for schools with kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, begin delete inclusive, to enable the schools to administer adequately digital assessments of pupils that are required pursuant to state or federal law. end delete begin insert inclusive. end insert The bill would require the department to award grants based on the needs of the local education agencies and would require, as a condition of the grant, that the local education agency provide matching funds of 50% of the project costs. The bill would, for the 2014-15 fiscal year, appropriate $500,000,000 from the General Fund to the department for the grant program.

Vote:  begin delete ²⁄₃ end delete begin insert majority end insert . Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

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begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

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begin insert Article 15 (commencing with Section 17079.35)
is added to Chapter 12.5 of Part 10 of Division 1 of Title 1 of the end insert begin insert Education Code end insert begin insert , to read: end insert

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Article begin insert 15. end insert   Network Infrastructure

 

begin insert 17079.35. end insert   

(a) The department shall establish a competitive
grant program to provide grants for the construction of network
infrastructure for schools with kindergarten and grades 1 to 12,
inclusive.

(b) In administering the program, the department shall evaluate
an application and award the grants based on the need of the local
education agencies.

(c) The department shall, as a condition of a grant, require the
local education agency to provide matching funds in an amount
of 50 percent of the project costs.

(d) (1) For the 2014-15 fiscal year, the sum of five hundred
million dollars ($500,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the
General Fund to the department for the purposes of this section.

(2) The department may expend not more than ____ percent of
the amount appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1) for its
administrative costs in implementing this article.

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SECTION 1.  

Section 60644.5 is added to the Education Code,
to read:

60644.5.  

(a) The department shall establish a competitive grant
program to provide grants for the construction of network
infrastructure for schools with kindergarten and grades 1 to 12,
inclusive, to enable the schools to administer adequately digital
assessments of pupils that are required by state or federal law.

(b) In administering the program, the department shall evaluate
an application and award the grants based on the need of the local
education agencies.

(c) The department shall, as a condition of a grant, require the
local education agency to provide matching funds in an amount
of 50 percent of the project costs.

(d) For the 2014-15 fiscal year, the sum of five hundred million
dollars ($500,000,000) is hereby appropriated from the General
Fund to the department for the purposes of this section.

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