HB1487 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB095 10371 CMK 30586 b

95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
HB1487

Introduced 2/21/2007, by Rep. Constance A. Howard - Esther Golar

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Sustainable Funding for Community Technology Act. Authorizes the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to (i) establish community collaboratives for the purpose of strategic planning for computing and telecommunications infrastructure and related community and economic development in low-income rural and urban areas and (ii) award strategic planning grants and telecommunications and computing infrastructure sustainable funding grants to those community collaboratives. Effective July 1, 2007.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning technology.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Sustainable Funding for Community Technology Act.

Section 5. Findings.

(a) The General Assembly finds that the present structure of funding for community technology suffers from core deficiencies. The charity-oriented approach to non-profit funding has created fundamental instability in the provision of critical services to low-income communities. Foundations and private philanthropy are not sufficient to support long-term development and operation of technological infrastructure. In addition, grant funding models for non-profits grossly underestimate the sustained technical assistance, infrastructure development, and maintenance requirements of computing and communications technology in non-profit settings.

(b) The General Assembly further finds that low-income communities would benefit from a capital development funding approach that addresses regional planning and collaboration, creates a sustainable capital base in each region, educates traditional donors concerning community technology needs, and coordinates donation of equipment and services in each region and its associated service area.

Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:

"Collaborative" means a community collaborative established under this Act.

"Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.

Section 15. Community collaboratives; board of directors.

(a) Subject to appropriation, the Department may establish community collaboratives for the purpose of strategic planning for computing and telecommunications infrastructure and related community and economic development in low-income rural and urban areas. A community collaborative established under this Section shall represent a specified geographic region determined by the Department by rule. No more than 20 non-profit agencies within that geographic region shall be represented in the collaborative.

(b) Each community collaborative shall consist of a board of directors as follows:

(1) one representative of a technical profession with broad experience in education, technology, social policy, and social program implementation;

(2) one representative with experience in the fields of law, finance, technology, or another relevant field;

(3) one representative of fund-raising constituencies, such as philanthropic foundations, corporate executives, private donors, or other fund-raising sources;

(4) one representative of each member agency of the collaborative; and

(5) one resident of the geographic area that the collaborative represents.

The majority of the members of the board must be residents of the geographic area that the collaborative represents. No member of the board may vote on any funding decision that would have a direct positive financial impact on that member or any entity that that member represents or in which the member has an interest. Members of the board shall serve without compensation. The board may hire and provide compensation for a resource development professional and an administrative assistant.

Section 20. Strategic planning. The Department may award each collaborative a strategic planning grant for the purpose of determining the computing and telecommunications infrastructure needs and related community and economic development needs of the non-profit agencies and the community within the geographic area that the collaborative represents. Within 4 months after receipt of the strategic planning grant, the collaborative shall deliver the strategic plan to the Department. The total amount of strategic planning grants awarded to any one collaborative under this Section shall not exceed $300,000.

Section 25. Telecommunications and computing infrastructure sustainable funding grants.

(a) Upon receipt of the strategic plan of a community collaborative under Section 20, the Department may award to that community collaborative a sustainable funding grant to endow or provide the general operating costs of telecommunications and computing infrastructure and related community and economic development.

(b) Grants awarded to endow a telecommunications and computing infrastructure shall not be in an amount less than $10,000,000. Grants awarded for the general operating costs of telecommunications and computing infrastructure shall not be in an amount less than $2,000,000.

(c) Upon receipt of a telecommunications and computing infrastructure sustainable funding grant, the collaborative shall distribute those funds to appropriate member agencies.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2007.