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(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to HB2 and SB2

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

State Department of Education (SDE)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of HAFC Amendment

The House Appropriations and Finance Committee amendment strikes the appropriation of $2,000.00.

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 850 establishes a statewide educational technology opportunity program to provide low cost, state of the art computers for New Mexico's classrooms by creating a partnership between private industry, government, and local school districts to build, distribute, and install computers in the classrooms over the next three years.

Significant Issues

The bill requires SDE to contract with a nonprofit corporation to administer the program and establish criteria for evaluating applications for computer assistance. The department is also required to submit an annual report to the State Board of Education, the Governor, and legislature on the progress of the program, the regional distribution of the program, the number of computers distributed and the cost of each computer.

According to SDE, computer recycling programs have not worked well for New Mexico students and teachers for various reasons. Most donated equipment is in poor operating condition and the technical expertise required to keep the donated equipment functional does not exist at the classroom level.

The program proposed in this bill would build and rehabilitate computers for New Mexico classrooms using a combination of donated, surplus and purchased equipment.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

This bill appropriates $2,000.0 from the general fund in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 to SDE. The appropriations are to be expended only to reimburse the contractor for the state portion of computer assistance. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2000 shall revert to the general fund. This bill also carries an emergency clause.

CONFLICT/DUPLICATION/COMPANIONSHIP/RELATIONSHIP

Included in HB2, Section 7, is $1,000.0 to fund Computers In The Schools program.

Included in SB2, Section 7, is $2,000.0 to fund Computers In The Schools program.

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