Pennsylvania Act 1993-80 — INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION ACT - REENACTMENT AND AMENDMENT

Act text

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION ACT - REENACTMENT AND AMENDMENT
                  Act of Dec. 22, 1993, P.L. 557, No. 80              Cl. 24
                             Session of 1993
                               No. 1993-80

     HB 1512

                                  AN ACT

     Reenacting and amending the act of July 9, 1984 (P.L.676,
        No.145), entitled "An act establishing within the
        Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency Regional
        Computer Resource Centers and Regional Computer Resource
        Center boards."

        The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     hereby enacts as follows:

        Section 1.  Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the act of
     July 9, 1984 (P.L.676, No.145), known as the Information
     Technology Education Act, are reenacted or reenacted and amended
     to read:
      Section 1.  Short title.
        This act shall be known and may be cited as the Information
     Technology Education Act.
      Section 2.  Purpose.
        The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
            (1)  It is in the best interest of the Commonwealth to
        improve and strengthen computer education in its elementary
        and secondary schools by:
                (i)  Coordinating the activities of the Regional
            Computer Resource Centers with the existing Science
            Teachers Education Program administered by the
            Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.
                (ii)  Encouraging orderly planning for the use of
            microcomputers and for the application of microcomputers
            to the instructional programs of elementary and secondary
            schools.
                (iii)  Improving teacher training in computer
            education.
                (iv)  Encouraging the acquisition of computer
            hardware.
                (v)  Assisting in the acquisition of appropriate
            computer software.
            (2)  All areas of the Commonwealth shall have available a
        Regional Computer Resource Center to assist school districts
        in developing the computer skills of their students and
        teachers and to ensure availability of computer equipment,
        training and programs.
            (3)  There shall be at least eight centers throughout the
        Commonwealth, each of which shall be established at sites
        reflecting considerations of demography.
            (4)  Funding shall be made available to the centers from
        the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.
            (5)  The initial priority of this act shall be to
        equalize the development of computer skills of students and
        teachers among the school districts.
            (6)  This program is designed as a four-year program.
      Section 3.  Definitions.
        The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
     have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
     context clearly indicates otherwise:
        "Agency."  The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
     Agency.
        "Center."  A Regional Computer Resource Center.
        "Department."  The Department of Education of the
     Commonwealth.
        "Intermediate unit."  An intermediate unit as defined by the
     act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public
     School Code of 1949.
      Section 4.  Responsibility of Pennsylvania Higher Education
                    Assistance Agency.
        (a)  Establish centers.--The Pennsylvania Higher Education
     Assistance Agency shall establish not less than eight Regional
     Computer Resource Centers throughout the Commonwealth at sites
     based on demography.
        (b)  Grant supervision.--The agency shall be responsible for
     reviewing school district grant proposals submitted by Regional
     Computer Resource Centers.
        (c)  Power to make grants.--The Higher Education Assistance
     Agency shall make grants to school districts. Those grants shall
     reflect at least one of the following:
            (1)  The aid ratio as defined in the Public School Code
        of 1949.
            (2)  School district enrollment.
     Each school district applying shall be required to supply the
     balance of the funding necessary for its program. The balance
     may be supplied in cash or in kind.
      Section 5.  Regional Computer Resource Centers.
        (a)  Purpose.--The purposes of each Regional Computer
     Resource Center are to increase teacher expertise relating to
     computer information technology and to assist local school
     districts within the region to acquire, utilize and upgrade
     computer hardware and software. To this end, it will:
            (1)  Provide teacher training.
            (2)  Help design computer oriented curricula.
            (3)  Assist with the evaluation of software.
            (4)  Review and evaluate proposals for upgrading computer
        and computer oriented instruction.
            (5)  Coordinate purchase of computer hardware and
        software.
            (6)  Loan computer hardware and software to nonpublic
        school students.
     The agency or Regional Computer Resource Centers may contract
     with intermediate units to provide the above services.
        (b)  Regional Computer Resource Center Board.--
            (1)  The Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Higher
        Education Assistance Agency shall appoint five persons to be
        members of each Regional Computer Resource Center Board of
        Directors. The persons appointed shall represent five broad
        areas: computer technology, teacher education, computer
        education, elementary education and secondary education. No
        less than two members of the Regional Computer Resource
        Center Board shall be classroom teachers or building
        principals.
            (2)  It shall be the duty of the regional board to
        receive grant applications from school districts. Such
        applications shall include plans for upgrading computer
        education through two related and coordinated actions:
        teacher training and computer hardware and software
        acquisition and utilization.
            (3)  Grant applications from school districts for teacher
        training in computer education, computer hardware acquisition
        and computer software acquisition shall be received by the
        regional board. After reviewing applications, the regional
        board shall forward each application with their comments to
        the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.
      Section 6.  Loan of computer hardware and software to nonpublic
                    school students.
        The [Director] President of the Pennsylvania Higher Education
     Assistance Agency through the Regional Computer Resource Centers
     shall have the power and duty to purchase computer hardware and
     software and, upon individual request, to loan them to all
     children residing in the Commonwealth who are enrolled in grades
     kindergarten through 12 of a nonpublic school. The annual
     allocation for this purchase shall not exceed 20% of the
     appropriated funds used for the purchase of computer hardware
     and software from the total appropriation. Such computer
     hardware and software shall be loaned free to such children.
      Section 7.  Regulations.
        The Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Higher Education
     Assistance Agency shall have the power and its duty shall be to
     adopt such regulations as may be necessary to implement this
     act.
        Section 2.  Section 8 of the act is repealed.
        Section 3.  The act is amended by adding sections to read:
      Section 8.  Contracting limitations.
        (a)  General rule.--No contract shall be awarded under this
     act until the contracting parties certify and the agency is
     satisfied that no Commonwealth official or employee, including
     any official or employee of the State System of Higher
     Education, possesses a financial interest in the contract or has
     any interest which is prohibited by the State Adverse Interest
     Act. Any contract in which a Commonwealth official or employee
     possesses an interest prohibited under this section shall be
     void.
        (b)  Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
     words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
     subsection:
        "Business with which he is associated."  A business in which
     the Commonwealth official or employee or a member of his
     immediate family is a director, officer, owner or employee or
     has a financial interest.
        "Commonwealth official or employee."  The term includes any
     member of the official's or employee's immediate family and any
     business with which he is associated.
        "Financial interest."  A financial interest in a legal entity
     engaged in business for profit which comprises more than 5% of
     the equity of the business or more than 5% of the assets of the
     economical interests in indebtedness.
        "Immediate family."  A parent, spouse or child.
      Section 8.1.  Expiration provision.
        This act shall expire June 30, 1997.
        Section 4.  This act shall apply to all contracts awarded on
     or after the effective date of this act.
        Section 5.  This act shall take effect immediately.

     APPROVED--The 22nd day of December, A. D. 1993.

     ROBERT P. CASEY