SENATE BILL 569

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2013

INTRODUCED BY

John M. Sapien

AN ACT

RELATING TO SCHOOL FINANCE; REQUIRING THE PUBLIC EDUCATION DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACCESS FOR ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. A new section of the Public School Finance Act is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACCESS.--

          A. As used in this section, "telecommunications access" means the department's provision of high bandwidth internet access, two-way interactive video, telephone and other remote access and telecommunications services to each school district and charter school.

          B. The department shall provide telecommunications access to each school district and charter school to facilitate the administration of assessments in accordance with the state standards for each grade level and subject area pursuant to Section 22-13-1.6 NMSA 1978 and for distance learning, teacher training and other educational purposes. The provision of telecommunications access shall be standardized for all school districts to ensure comparable access to educational opportunities for each student.

          C. Requests for proposals shall require the provision of telecommunications access from competent, reliable and experienced service providers that use primarily fiber optic and other high bandwidth transmission media and provide design, implementation and administrative oversight services for telecommunications access.

          D. The department shall coordinate with the public school capital outlay oversight task force, the legislative finance committee and the legislative education study committee to:

                (1) study the educational opportunity and economic development potential of providing telecommunications access to all public school students; and

                (2) maximize federal, private and state funding sources for the purposes of this section.

          E. By July 31 of each year, the department shall present a report to the legislative finance committee and the legislative education study committee regarding the provision of telecommunications access pursuant to this section."

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