30 ILCS 780/5-30
2021 Illinois Compiled Statutes|Chapter 30 - FINANCE|30 ILCS 780/ - Eliminate the Digital Divide Law.|Article 5 - Eliminate The Digital Divide Law

Sec. 5-30. Community Technology Center Grant Program.(a) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall administer  the Community Technology Center Grant Program under which the  Department shall make grants in accordance with this Article  for planning, establishment, administration, and expansion  of Community Technology Centers and for assisting public hospitals,  libraries, and park districts in eliminating the digital divide. The purposes  of the grants shall include, but  not be limited to, volunteer recruitment and management, training and  instruction, infrastructure, and  related goods and services, including case management, administration, personal information management, and outcome-tracking tools and software for the purposes of reporting to the Department and for enabling participation in digital government and consumer services programs, for Community Technology Centers and public  hospitals, libraries, and park districts.  No Community Technology Center may receive a grant of more than $75,000 under  this Section in a particular fiscal year.(b) Public hospitals, libraries, park districts, and State educational  agencies, local educational  agencies, institutions of higher education, senior citizen homes, and other public and  private nonprofit or for-profit agencies and organizations are eligible  to receive grants under this Program, provided that a local educational  agency or public or private educational  agency or organization must, in order to be eligible to receive grants under  this Program, provide computer access and educational services using  information technology to the public at one or more of its educational  buildings or facilities at least 12 hours each week. A group of eligible  entities is  also eligible to receive a grant if the group follows the procedures  for group applications in 34 CFR 75.127-129 of the Education Department General  Administrative Regulations.To be eligible to apply for a grant, a Community  Technology Center must serve a  community in which not less than 40%  of the   students are eligible  for a free or reduced price lunch under the national  school lunch program or in which not less than 30% of the students  are eligible  for a free lunch under the national school lunch program; however, if funding  is insufficient to approve all grant applications for a particular fiscal year,  the Department may impose a higher minimum percentage threshold for that fiscal  year. Determinations of communities and determinations of the percentage of  students in a community who are eligible for a free or reduced price lunch  under the national school lunch program shall be in accordance with rules  adopted by the Department.Any entities that have received a Community  Technology Center grant under the federal Community Technology Centers Program  are also eligible to apply for grants under this Program.The Department shall  provide assistance to Community Technology Centers in  making those  determinations for purposes of applying for grants.The Department shall encourage Community Technology Centers to participate in public and private computer hardware equipment recycling initiatives that provide computers at reduced or no cost to low-income families, including programs authorized by the State Property Control Act.  On an annual basis, the Department must provide the Director of Central Management Services with a list of Community Technology Centers that have applied to the Department for funding as potential recipients of surplus State-owned computer hardware equipment under programs authorized by the State Property Control Act.(c) Grant applications  shall be submitted to the Department on a schedule of one or more deadlines established by the Department by rule.(d) The Department shall adopt rules setting forth the required form  and contents of grant applications.(e) There is created  the Digital Divide Elimination Advisory Committee.  The advisory committee  shall consist of 7    members appointed one each by the Governor, the President of  the Senate, the Senate Minority Leader, the Speaker of the House, and the House  Minority Leader, and 2 appointed by the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, one of whom shall be a representative of the telecommunications industry and one of whom shall represent community technology centers.  The members of the advisory committee shall receive no  compensation for their services as members of the advisory committee but may be  reimbursed for their actual expenses incurred in serving on the advisory  committee.  The Digital Divide Elimination Advisory Committee shall advise the  Department in establishing criteria and priorities for identifying recipients  of  grants under this Act.  The advisory committee shall obtain advice from the  technology industry regarding current technological standards.  The advisory  committee shall seek any available federal funding.(f)  There is created the Digital Divide Elimination Working Group.  The Working Group shall consist of the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, or his or her designee, the Director of Central Management Services, or his or her designee, and the Executive Director of the Illinois Commerce Commission, or his or her designee.  The Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, or his or her designee, shall serve as chair of the Working Group. The Working Group shall consult with the members of the Digital Divide Elimination Advisory Committee and may consult with various groups including, but not limited to, telecommunications providers, telecommunications-related technology producers and service providers, community technology providers, community and consumer organizations, businesses and business organizations, and federal government agencies.(g) Duties of the Digital Divide Elimination Working Group include all of the following:(1) Undertaking a thorough review of grant programs     available through the federal government, local agencies, telecommunications providers, and business and charitable entities for the purpose of identifying appropriate sources of revenues for the Digital Divide Elimination Fund and attempting to update available grants on a regular basis.(2) Researching and cataloging programs designed to     advance digital literacy and computer access that are available through the federal government, local agencies, telecommunications providers, and business and charitable entities and attempting to update available programs on a regular basis.(3) Presenting the information compiled from items     (1) and (2) to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, which shall serve as a single point of contact for applying for funding for the Digital Divide Elimination Fund and for distributing information to the public regarding all programs designed to advance digital literacy and computer access. (Source: P.A. 94-734, eff. 4-28-06; 95-740, eff. 1-1-09.)