Sec. FFF-1. 20-A MRSA Pt. 9 is enacted to read:
PART 9
LEARNING TECHNOLOGY
CHAPTER 801
MAINE LEARNING TECHNOLOGY ENDOWMENT
§19101. Establishment of the Maine Learning Technology Endowment; source of funds
The Maine Learning Technology Endowment, referred to in this chapter as the "endowment," is established. The endowment consists of certain funds dedicated by the Legislature and by other private and public sources for the advancement of learning technology in Maine.
1. Generally. The endowment must be used to enable the full integration of appropriate learning technologies into teaching and learning for the State's elementary and secondary students. The endowment must be managed and governed in a manner that provides for the financially sustainable support, use and integration of learning technology in Maine schools as determined by the Legislature.
2. Learning technology plan. The use of the endowment must be based on a state learning technology plan adopted by the Legislature.
§19103. Finances of the endowment
The endowment includes all assets, funds and holdings held in the name of, on behalf of or for the benefit of the endowment. This is a nonlapsing fund the sources of which include all appropriations and allocations by the Legislature to the endowment; money from any other source, whether public or private, designated for deposit into or credited to the endowment; and interest or other income or assets of the endowment.
§19104. Fiduciary roles and responsibilities
The Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services, referred to in this section as the "commissioner," shall act as fiduciary with respect to the management and administration of the endowment. The commissioner shall ensure that deposits into the endowment are segregated and separately accounted for as funds held in trust on behalf of the State for the purposes specified in this chapter and for no other purpose.
1. Investment of the endowment. The Board of Trustees of the Maine State Retirement System shall invest the endowment in the same manner and according to the same investment policy and practices by which the board invests the assets of the Maine State Retirement System. The board shall treat the endowment as held in trust on behalf of the State for the purposes specified in this chapter and no other and shall separately account for the endowment as investment assets, attributing to the endowment its proportional share of investment returns and of investment management costs and expenses, including costs and expenses of the retirement system arising because of its investment of the endowment. The commissioner and the board shall develop jointly a memorandum of understanding, setting out their mutual understanding of the investment of the endowment, the related investment accounting and investment return and expense attribution.
2. Audit of the endowment. The commissioner shall ensure adequate audit of the investment management of the endowment and the expenditures of the endowment each state fiscal year within the scope of the annual audit of the Maine State Retirement System or through separate audit as considered appropriate by the Board of Trustees of the Maine State Retirement System. Any separate audit must be reported to the Governor, the Legislature, the commissioner and the State Controller in as timely a manner as possible after the close of each state fiscal year.
3. Use of the endowment. Until otherwise provided by the Legislature, in accordance with a state learning technology plan, the endowment may be used for necessary audit services, legal expenses, investment management fees and services and general administrative expenses related to the management and administration of the endowment.
Sec. FFF-2. Task Force on the Maine Learning Technology Endowment. The Task Force on the Maine Learning Technology Endowment, referred to in this section as the "task force," is established.
1. Task force membership; chair. The task force consists of 16 voting members and one nonvoting member as follows. The members shall select a chair at the first meeting of the task force.
A. The President of the Senate shall appoint 4 members, including at least one public member and at least one member who is not a member of the majority party.
B. The Speaker of the House shall appoint 4 members, including at least one public member and at least one member who is not a member of the majority party.
C. The Governor shall appoint 6 members, including individuals with expertise in education, business and finance and technology.
D. The Commissioner of Education, or the commissioner's designee, is a member.
E. The Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services, or the commissioner's designee, is a member.
F. The chair of the Public Utilities Commission, or the chair's designee, is a nonvoting member.
2. Appointment of members. All members must be appointed no later than August 15, 2000. The Executive Director of the Legislative Council must be notified by all appointing authorities once the selections have been made. When the appointment of all members has been completed, the chair of the Legislative Council shall call and convene the first meeting of the task force no later than August 31, 2000.
3. Duties. The task force shall consider issues pertaining to and make recommendations to the Legislature on the structure, oversight and operation of the Maine Learning Technology Endowment established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 19101 and the implementation of a state learning technology plan. The task force shall create a state learning technology plan to prepare students for a future economy that will rely heavily on technology and innovation. Based on a review of the current condition of technology in the classrooms of the State, the task force shall plan to transform Maine into the premier state for utilizing technology in kindergarten to grade 12 education. The task force shall:
A. Recommend the ongoing structure, governance and oversight of the Maine Learning Technology Endowment;
B. Assess the current use of technology in the classrooms of the State;
C. Assess the current readiness of staff to teach using technology in the classroom and determine the need for professional development in the integration of technology in teaching;
D. Recommend strategy and goals for the integration of technology in the teaching of content areas and in the achievement of the learning results established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 20-A, section 6209;
E. Recommend strategy and goals for improving and equalizing access to and use of technology in all school systems across the State, including state-run schools;
F. Recommend a phased plan for the implementation of a state learning technology plan;
G. Recommend strategies that coordinate the resources and goals of the Maine Learning Technology Endowment with the Maine School and Library Network and the telecommunications education access fund established in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 35-A, section 7104-B, including policies to maximize the capability of all student and teachers to access the Maine School and Library Network or the Internet;
H. Coordinate strategies for kindergarten to grade 12 learning technology with technology initiatives and resources of Maine's public higher education institutions; and
I. Recommend a plan to track and assess progress in the implementation of goals set forth in the state learning technology plan.
The state learning technology plan funded by the Maine Learning Technology Endowment must be designed to take effect no later than the start of the 2002-03 school year.
4. Staffing assistance. The task force may request staffing assistance from the Legislative Council. The task force may also request additional staffing and other assistance, as appropriate, from the Department of Education, the Department of Administrative and Financial Services and other appropriate state agencies and educational institutions.
5. Compensation. The members of the task force who are Legislators are entitled to the legislative per diem, as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 3, section 2, and reimbursement for necessary expenses incurred for their attendance at authorized meetings of the task force. Other members of the task force who are not otherwise compensated by their employers or other entities that they represent are entitled to receive reimbursement of necessary expenses incurred for their attendance at authorized meetings of the task force.
6. Report. No later than December 15, 2000, the task force shall submit a proposed state learning technology plan, along with its recommendations to the Legislature. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over education and cultural affairs may report out in the First Regular Session of the 120th Legislature any legislation necessary to implement the recommendations of the task force.
7. Budget. The chair of the task force, with assistance from the task force staff, shall administer the task force's budget. Within 10 days after its first meeting, the task force shall present a work plan and proposed budget to the Legislative Council for approval. The task force may not incur expenses that would result in the task force's exceeding its approved budget. Upon request from the task force, the Executive Director of the Legislative Council shall promptly provide the task force chair and staff with a status report on the task force's budget, expenditures incurred and paid and available funds.
Sec. FFF-3. Appropriation. The following funds are appropriated from the General Fund to carry out the purposes of this Part.
2000-01
LEGISLATURE
Task Force on the Maine Learning Technology Endowment
Personal Services $2,310
All Other 5,400
__________
TOTAL $7,710
Provides funds for the per diem and expenses of legislative members and the expenses of other eligible members of the Task Force on the Maine Learning Technology Endowment and to print the required report.
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