(a) The members of the House of Representatives and the Senate appointed at each regular session of the General Assembly to the Joint Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology shall constitute a joint committee of the General Assembly to function during and in the interim between the sine die adjournment or extended recess of the regular session or fiscal session of each General Assembly, until the convening of the next regular session or fiscal session of the General Assembly or reconvening of the current General Assembly, or during an extended recess.

(b) (1) (A) The Joint Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology shall make continuing studies concerning the development of access to a statewide public telecommunications network for distance learning, telemedicine, universal access for governmental entities, and other issues concerning advanced communications and information technology, either initiated by the Joint Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology or referred to it by either house of the General Assembly for study, in the interim between sessions of the General Assembly.

(B)

(i) Interim study proposals and resolutions filed with the Legislative Council under the provisions of § 10-3-214 for review and referral to the appropriate germane interim committee of the General Assembly, relating to advanced communications and information technology, shall be referred to the Joint Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology.

(ii) The Joint Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology shall undertake each study referred to it by members of the General Assembly or by the Legislative Council and shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations in regard to each study request to the General Assembly prior to the convening of the next session of the General Assembly.

(iii) The Joint Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology shall review any plan developed or updated by a public instrumentality.

(2) In addition, the Joint Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology shall exercise leadership in the interim between legislative sessions and shall attempt to coordinate for the various committees of the General Assembly the various activities, studies, and planning activities of the General Assembly which relate to the development of access to a statewide public telecommunications information infrastructure.

(3) The Joint Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology shall have the power and authority, upon approval of a majority of the members of the Joint Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology, to subpoena persons, documents, and records. However, no action of the Joint Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology regarding the exercise of the subpoena power shall be taken except upon notice of at least one (1) week to all members of the Joint Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology or upon a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the membership of the Joint Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology.

(4) The Joint Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology shall cooperate with the Governor, with public secondary and postsecondary institutions of education, with the appropriate administrative agencies of this state, with legislative and administrative agencies and institutions of other states, and with the federal government and others in the planning and development of access to a statewide public telecommunications infrastructure linking institutions, businesses, government agencies, schools, hospitals, libraries, communities, and other public and private entities to the national information infrastructure.

(c) The Joint Committee on Advanced Communications and Information Technology shall exercise appropriate legislative oversight of the operations of the Department of Information Systems.