(a) In accordance with the state information systems plan adopted by the commissioner and with the departmental information systems plan, the department shall provide

(1) technical consultation to educational and public telecommunications users;

(2) coordination and support to telecommunications services for instruction, including technical assistance and assistance in preparation of applications for grants related to program development as may be requested by

(A) public school districts and the Department of Education and Early Development;

(B) the University of Alaska; and

(C) other state agencies as approved by the commissioner;

(3) coordination and support for health and safety-related functions, including the administrative and client services provided by state, federal, and private agencies;

(4) coordination and support to telecommunications services for public participation in state-financed services, including the public hearing process, as may be statutorily required or otherwise appropriate;

(5) assistance, through design, development, and promotion, to local school districts or other local and regional education agencies for the regionalization of instructional telecommunications services;

(6) establishment of operational policies for public telecommunications services other than public broadcasting; and

(7) assistance to the Alaska Public Broadcasting Commission and any commission-designated subcommitteees, as necessary to perform assigned department functions; the department shall cooperate with the commission and subcommittees in order to develop policies which are responsive to the user groups which are represented on the commission.

(b) Subject to available funding, the department may make grants to educational and public telecommunication users except grants for public broadcasting purposes.

(c) The department shall study, plan, and develop integrated instructional telecommunications services for all residents of the state and, after public hearings, submit to the governor and the legislature an annually updated long-term development plan prepared in consultation with the Department of Education and Early Development, the University of Alaska, local school districts, and other local and regional education areas.

(d) The department shall, after public hearings, submit to the governor an annually updated long-term development plan for teleconferencing facilities and services, including facilities and services used both by state agencies and groups other than state agencies.

(e) The department may not own, operate, or be the licensee of a public noncommercial broadcast station or production center.

(f) Nothing in this section implies department responsibility for programming content. Program design, production, and use are the responsibility of the program-sponsoring agency or other entity, not the department.