Bill Summaries: H381 (2019-2020 Session)

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  • Summary date: Mar 19 2019 - View summary

    Titles the act as the 2019 School Construction and Rural Broadband Investment Act.

    States the General Assembly's intent to appropriate funds to address the capital needs of the public schools and community colleges by pledging over $2.1 billion available in the State Capital and Infrastructure Fund to counties and $300 million to the community colleges in this State over the next 10 years, and by establishing an ongoing appropriation of $15 million annually to bolster broadband infrastructure expansion projects in the Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology program, while maintaining anticipated appropriations of $4 billion to assist state agencies and UNC with their ongoing capital needs.

    Appropriates specified amounts from $185 million increasing to $775 million for 2019-20 through 2028-29 from the State Capital and Infrastructure Fund for capital projects and repairs and renovations projects for State agencies and UNC. 

    Requires that $2,166,955,128 be used to allocate proceeds to local education agencies for new construction or rehabilitation of existing facilities and repairs and renovations in the specified amounts to each of the listed local education agencies. Creates the K-12 Building Fund as a capital project fund within the Office of State Budget and Management. Requires proceeds disbursed from the Fund to be used for new construction or rehabilitation of existing facilities, repairs and renovations, building of technology infrastructure, and the purchase of building security measures. Sets out additional requirements for any items purchased with such proceeds and installed or replaced as part of a renovation or rehabilitation. Requires local matching funds in order to receive Fund proceeds for projects for new construction; sets the required match according to which development tier the county is located within. Matching funds are not required for proceeds for rehabilitation of existing facilities and repairs and renovations. Requires a county to draw upon the allocated proceeds over a two-year period, with no more than half of the allocated proceeds drawn in the first year. Sets out additional guidance for local school administrative units located in more than one county. 

    Requires the Department of Public Instruction to assist the Office of State Budget and Management in developing a priority list of projects and capital needs to enable the Office of State Budget and Management in administering the proceeds from the K-12 Building Fund in a manner that will not exceed the specified appropriations to the Fund for 2019-20 through 2028-29.

    Requires the Community Colleges System Office to administer funds appropriated from the State Capital and Infrastructure Fund for capital projects at community colleges, major equipment acquisitions, building of the enterprise resource planning information technology, and other technology infrastructure. Sets out additional requirements for any items purchased with such proceeds and installed or replaced as part of a renovation or rehabilitation. Requires local matching funds in order to receive Fund proceeds for projects for new construction; sets the required match according to which development tier the county is located within. Matching funds are not required for proceeds for rehabilitation of existing facilities, repairs and renovations, or major equipment acquisitions. Appropriates from the State Capital and Infrastructure Fund to the Community Colleges System Office specified sums ranging from $10 million to $90 million for 2019-20 through 2026-27.

    Amends GS 143B-1373 by adding an appropriation each fiscal year in the amount of $15 million from the State Capital and Infrastructure Fund to the Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology Fund to administer the GREAT program (the Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology program). Expires June 30, 2029.

    Makes conforming changes to the allowable uses of the State Capital and Infrastructure Fund in GS 143C-4-3.1.

    Effective July 1, 2019.