33-5602. PURPOSE, FINDINGS AND LEGISLATIVE INTENT — DEFINITIONS. (1) The purpose of this act is to establish a resource for Idaho’s education and library system in providing broadband, wireless local area network (LAN) and related services to students. The legislature finds that Idaho benefits from a consistent and adequate bandwidth connection to and between its districts and schools, inclusive of grades K through 12, and to its libraries. It is the intent of the legislature that:

(a) State resources be made available to support Idaho’s E-rate eligible entities with technical, E-rate, security, contracting and procurement guidance, and funding distribution;

(b) E-rate eligible entities shall have the ability to collaborate regionally and intrastate for broadband and related services;

(c) Districts shall have the ability to collaborate regionally and intrastate for wireless LAN services; and

(d) E-rate eligible entities apply for and pursue, in good faith, E-rate funding.

(2) As used in this chapter:

(a) "Districts" means Idaho public schools grades K through 12, the Idaho digital learning academy, the Idaho department of juvenile corrections’ education programs and the school for the deaf and the blind.

(b) "E-rate" means the schools and libraries program of the universal service fund that is administered by the universal service administrative company under the direction of the federal communications commission.

(c) "E-rate eligible entities" means Idaho public schools grades K through 12, the Idaho digital learning academy, the Idaho department of juvenile corrections education programs, the school for the deaf and the blind and the Idaho public libraries.

History:

[33-5602, added 2016, ch. 182, sec. 3, p. 492; am. 2017, ch. 141, sec. 1, p. 334.]