A bill

to amend the South Carolina Code of Laws by adding Section 59-1-505 so as to REQUIRE THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IN THE ANNUAL GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO INSTALL, MAINTAIN, AND PROVIDE WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS IN EVERY K-12 SCHOOL IN THIS STATE AND THEREAFTER TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS TO INSTALL, MAINTAIN, AND PROVIDE WIRELESS LOCAL AREA NETWORKS IN EVERY SCHOOL BUS IN THIS STATE, TO REQUIRE EACH DISTRICT TO ADOPT A PLAN TO MAKE SCHOOL BUSES AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS ON NON-SCHOOL DAYS, AND TO REQUIRE EACH DISTRICT TO ISSUE A REPORT DETAILING THE USE OF THE FUNDS APPROPRIATED.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1.   Chapter 1, Title 59 of the S.C. Code is amended by adding:

   Section 59-1-505.   (A) Each year in the general appropriations act, the General Assembly shall appropriate funds to install, maintain, and provide wireless local area networks in every K 12 school in this State. The funds must first be appropriated to the school districts with the highest poverty index. Once a district receives funds pursuant to this subsection, the district must continue to receive funds for the same purpose in each subsequent year.

   (B)(1) Once the General Assembly has provided wireless local area networks to each K 12 school in the State, the General Assembly shall annually appropriate funds in the general appropriations act to install, maintain, and provide wireless local area networks in every school bus in this State. The funds must first be appropriated to the school districts with the highest poverty index, to be used on school buses in the district. Once a district receives funds pursuant to this subsection, the district must continue to receive funds for the same purpose in each subsequent year. For the purposes of this subsection, "school bus" has the same definition as provided in Section 59-67-10.

      (2) Each school district receiving funds pursuant to this subsection must adopt a plan to make school buses available to students throughout the district on non-school days, including, but not limited to, weekends and summers.

   (C) By May first of each year, each school district receiving funds, during the current fiscal year, pursuant to this section must submit a report to the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and the Chairman of the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee detailing the use of the funds. The report must include the number of schools or school buses, as applicable, that installed a wireless local area network and the number of students the wireless local area network is supporting.

SECTION 2.   This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor and first applies to the general appropriations act for Fiscal Year 2024-2025.

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