BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    




                    Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
          
                                          SB 1774  (Bowen)
          
          Hearing Date:5/25/00            Amended:5/16/00        
          Consultant: Karen French        Policy Vote:Education  11-0
          ____________________________________________________________ 
          ___
          BILL SUMMARY: 
          
          SB 1774 requires the State Department of Education to  
          establish a grant program to encourage schools and public  
          libraries to make their computer facilities available to  
          the public on evenings and weekends.

                              Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
           
          Major Provisions        2000-01            2001-02               2002-03   
           Fund  
          
          Grants             ---------Unknown, potentially in  
          excess------General
                                                                   of $150  
          annually
          SDE grant admin.              --------Unknown, depends on # of  
          grants---     GeneralSDE
          
          STAFF COMMENTS:  
          
          SUSPENSE FILE.  The actual costs of this bill are unknown  
          and depend upon the amount appropriated.  Assuming a  
          minimum of six grants statewide, the costs of this bill  
          would be $150,000.

          This bill is one of a two-bill package (including SB 1634,  
          also on today's agenda) that resulted from recent hearings  
          held by the Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications  
          Committee on the "digital divide" issue.