2023 Illinois Compiled Statutes › Chapter 30 - FINANCE › 30 ILCS 780/ - Eliminate the Digital Divide Law. › Article 5 - Eliminate The Digital Divide Law

(30 ILCS 780/Art. 5 heading)
ARTICLE 5.  
		ELIMINATE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE LAW
(30 ILCS 780/5-1)
Sec. 5-1. 
		Short title. 
		This Article may be cited as the Eliminate the Digital Divide Law.
(Source: P.A. 91-704, eff. 7-1-00.)
(30 ILCS 780/5-3)
Sec. 5-3. 
		Statement of legislative findings and purposes. 
		The General
Assembly finds that the growth of high technology industry,
including computers, the Internet, and advanced telecommunications, has created
a division in society.  Those who are able to master the tools of the new
digital technology and have access to the technology have benefited in the form
of improved employment possibilities and a higher standard of life.  Those who
are unfamiliar with the new technologies, or do not have access to them, are
increasingly constrained  to marginal employment and a standard of living near
the poverty level.  This "digital divide" parallels existing economic, racial,
and gender divisions in society, with the more privileged members of society
having much greater opportunity to benefit from the new technologies than those
who are less favorably situated.  It is the purpose of this Law to establish
educational and economic development initiatives that will bridge the digital
divide, making possible a society in which all individuals can benefit from the
opportunities provided by the new technologies.
(Source: P.A. 91-704, eff. 7-1-00.)
(30 ILCS 780/5-5)
Sec. 5-5. Definitions; descriptions. As used in this Article:
"Community-based organization" means
a private not-for-profit organization that is located in an Illinois community
and that provides services to citizens within that community and the
surrounding area.
"Senior citizen home" means an Illinois-based residential facility for people who are over the age of 65.  The term "senior citizen home"  includes, but is not limited to, convalescent homes, long-term care facilities, assistive living facilities,  and nursing homes.
"Community technology centers" provide computer access and educational
services
using information technology.  Community technology centers are diverse in the
populations they serve and programs they offer, but similar in that they
provide technology access to individuals, communities, and populations that
typically would not otherwise have places to use computer and
telecommunications technologies.
"Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
"National school lunch
program" means a program administered by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and state agencies that provides free or reduced price
lunches to economically disadvantaged children. A child whose family
income is between 130% and 185% of applicable family size
income levels contained in the nonfarm poverty guidelines prescribed by
the Office of Management and Budget is eligible for a reduced price
lunch. A child whose family income is 130% or less of applicable
family size income levels contained in the nonfarm income poverty
guidelines prescribed by the Office of Management and Budget is eligible
for a free lunch.
"Telecommunications services" provided by telecommunications carriers
include all commercially
available telecommunications services in addition to all reasonable
charges that are incurred by taking such services, such as state and
federal taxes.
"Other special services" provided by telecommunications carriers
include Internet access and
installation and maintenance of internal connections in addition to all
reasonable charges that are incurred by taking such services, such as
state and federal taxes.
(Source: P.A. 94-793, eff. 5-19-06; 95-740, eff. 1-1-09.)
(30 ILCS 780/5-20)
Sec. 5-20. 
		Digital Divide Elimination Fund. 
		The Digital Divide Elimination
Fund is created as a special fund
in the State treasury. All moneys in the
Fund shall
be used, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly, by the Department
for grants made under Section 5-30 of this Act.
(Source: P.A. 92-22, eff. 6-30-01.)
(30 ILCS 780/5-30)
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) (Blank).
(f) (Blank).
(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. 102-1071, eff. 6-10-22.)
(30 ILCS 780/5-35)
Sec. 5-35. 
		Resale; Community Technology Centers.
(a) Products and services purchased by Community Technology Centers with
grant funds may not be sold, resold, or transferred in consideration of money
or any other thing of value except with the prior approval of the Department.
(b) This prohibition on resale shall not bar Community Technology Centers
from charging fees for education or workforce preparation courses. There is no
prohibition on the resale of products or services that are not purchased with
grant funds.
(Source: P.A. 91-704, eff. 7-1-00.)
(30 ILCS 780/5-40)
Sec. 5-40. 
		Auditing; records; Community Technology Centers.
(a) Community Technology Centers shall be
required to maintain for expenditures made under this Article any procurement
records required by the Department. Community Technology Centers shall produce
those records at the request of the Department, any auditor appointed by the
State, or any State officer or agency entitled to inspect the records.
(b) Community Technology Centers shall be subject to random
compliance audits to evaluate what products and services they are purchasing
and how the products and services are being used.
(Source: P.A. 91-704, eff. 7-1-00.)
(30 ILCS 780/5-45)
Sec. 5-45. Statewide Community Technology Center Network.
(a) Subject to appropriation, the Department shall expend not
more than $100,000 in fiscal year 2001 to establish and administer a
Statewide Community Technology Center Network to assist in local and
regional planning under this Article.
(b) Subject to appropriation, the Department may expend not more than $100,000 in fiscal year 2006 and each fiscal year thereafter to establish and administer a Statewide Community Technology Center Network to assist in local and regional planning and revenue development and outreach under this Article.
(Source: P.A. 94-734, eff. 4-28-06.)
(30 ILCS 780/5-50)
Sec. 5-50. Computer Investment Program.
(a) Subject to appropriation, the Department may administer the Computer Investment Program under which the Department may assist low-income families in 5 digital divide impacted communities in the State, as determined by the Department, in reimbursing a portion of the cost for a recently purchased new or used home computer.
(b) The grant awarded by the Department shall not exceed $225 per applicant.
(c) The applicant must show proof of purchase for the computer in the form of a store receipt.
(d) The Department shall prepare a store verification form that must be filled out at the time of purchase by a store manager or assistant manager.  This form must be submitted to the Department as part of the grant application.
(e) To be eligible to apply for a grant under this Act, an applicant must have a child that:
(1) is enrolled in a public school 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 in this State;
(2) receives free or reduced school lunch under the     national school lunch program;
(3) has a passing grade point average;
(4) has a good attendance record;
(5) has resided in this State for a minimum of 6     months; and
(6) completes a basic computer course at one of the     community technology centers designated by the Department.
(f) The Department shall adopt rules to implement and administer the Program.
(Source: P.A. 94-262, eff. 1-1-06.)
(30 ILCS 780/5-55)
Sec. 5-55. (Repealed).
(Source: P.A. 94-262, eff. 1-1-06. Repealed by P.A. 101-275, eff. 8-9-19.)
(30 ILCS 780/5-105)
Sec. 5-105. 
		Rules. 
		The Department may adopt any rules that are necessary
and appropriate to carry out this Article.
(Source: P.A. 91-704, eff. 7-1-00.)