BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Dede Alpert, Chair
1999-2000 Regular Session
BILL NO: SB 1774
AUTHOR: Bowen
AMENDED: April 24, 2000
FISCAL COMM: Yes HEARING DATE: May 10, 2000
URGENCY: No CONSULTANT:Diane Kirkham
SUMMARY
This bill establishes a grant program to encourage schools
and public libraries to make their computer facilities
available to the public on evenings and weekends.
BACKGROUND
Current law allows, but does not require, school districts
to make their facilities and grounds available to the
public, subject to terms and conditions the governing board
of the district deems proper. The school district may
charge a fee for the use of its facilities, not to exceed
the direct costs.
ANALYSIS
This bill:
1) Makes a number of findings and declarations regarding
the critical nature of computer skills and the
disparate access to computers and the Internet, known
as the "digital divide".
2) Requires the State Department of Education to
establish a grant program to:
a) Encourage schools to keep their computer
facilities open and available to the public on
evenings and weekends;
b) Encourage public libraries that have
Internet access to extend hours and days during
which access is available to the public.
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3) Requires that the grants cover the additional costs
incurred by a school district or library as well as
provide for the cost of technical assistance at a
level determined by the State Department of Education.
4) Requires, as a condition of receiving a grant, a
school district to implement a program that enlists
pupil volunteers to provide technical support.
5) Appropriates an unspecified sum from the General Fund
to the State Department of Education for the purposes
of the grant program.
STAFF COMMENTS
1) Purpose of the bill
This bill is one bill of a two-bill package (SB 1634, also
on today's agenda, is the other bill) that resulted
from recent hearings held by the Senate Energy,
Utilities and Communications Committee on the "digital
divide" issue. The final hearing was a joint hearing
with our Committee. According to information provided
by the author's office, "One of the observations
resulting from the hearing was that it seemed like a
waste of resources for the school and library computer
facilities to be opened for such limited hours." The
purpose of the grant program is to offer incentives to
libraries and schools to keep their computer
facilities open longer hours.
2) Allowable Expenditures?
The bill rather broadly provides that the grants are to
cover "additional costs" of school or libraries.
Background information from the author's office
indicates that the additional incremental costs should
include additional staff hours, perhaps liability
insurance and power and technical support. It is not
clear, for instance, whether a school or library could
use grant funding for additional computer purchases,
software purchases, facility purchases or other such
items. Staff recommends that the bill be amended to
include a clear, more detailed list of allowable
expenditures.
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3) Criteria for Awarding Grants?
The findings and declarations in the bill indicate
disparate access to computers, known as the "digital
divide" is related to "an individual's income,
ethnicity and geographic location". But yet the bill
gives no direction to the State Department of
Education on the criteria to be used in determining
which entities and communities are to receive grants.
Furthermore, the bill does not require that the grants
be awarded on a competitive basis. Staff recommends
that the bill be amended to specify criteria that the
State Department of Education must use in awarding
competitive grants under the program.
4) Availability of Computer Expertise and/or Instruction?
The bill only requires grantees to keep facilities open for
extended hours. But yet closing the "digital divide"
may also require provision of some level of on-site
expertise and/or instruction. Staff recommends that
the author address whether a grantee should be
required to staff the extended hours facilities with
individuals that possess certain levels of computer
expertise.
5) Limit the Amount of Funding Per Grantee?
The bill does not specify a limit for the amount of each
grant. Staff recommends that the bill be amended to
specify such a limit.
6) Unspecified Appropriation?
The bill currently contains a blank appropriation. Does
the Committee wish to amend the bill to include a
specific sum for this proposed grant program?
SUPPORT
Center for Virtual Research, UC Riverside
Compu Mentor
Computers in Our Future
LA's Best
The Children's Partnership
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OPPOSITION
None received