(a) The State Board of Education is authorized to establish a grant program to incentivize the adoption of digital learning using high speed internet connections across Georgia schools. The grant program shall include funding, subject to appropriations by the General Assembly, for grants to local boards of education for the purchase of technology capital, including, but not limited to, desktop computers, network equipment, wireless equipment, tablet computers, laptop computers, and any other technology devices or equipment that advances student learning.

(b) The state board is authorized to develop rules and regulations to implement the grant program, including requiring local school systems to commit to expanding and paying for high speed bandwidth for five years and a plan of use of the bandwidth in each school for instructional purposes, requiring each local school system to demonstrate that it has a technology plan that incorporates the use of new technology into student learning and includes a component for professional development for staff, and requiring local matching funds from local school systems to demonstrate long-term sustainability. The grant program criteria may take into account the financial need and lack of existing bandwidth of a local school system and any previous grants received by the local board of education pursuant to this Code section and may provide for waiver of the matching funds requirement for local school systems that demonstrate financial need.