16.995 Educational technology infrastructure financial assistance.

(1) Financial assistance authorized. The department may provide financial assistance under this section to school districts from the proceeds of public debt contracted under s. 20.866 (2) (zc) and to public library boards from the proceeds of public debt contracted under s. 20.866 (2) (zcm). Financial assistance under this section may be used only for the purpose of upgrading the electrical wiring of school and library buildings in existence on October 14, 1997, and installing and upgrading computer network wiring. The department may not provide any financial assistance under this section after July 26, 2003.

(2) Financial assistance applications, terms, and conditions. The department shall establish application procedures for, and the terms and conditions of, financial assistance under this section. The department shall make a loan to a school district or public library board, or to a municipality on behalf of a public library board, in an amount equal to 50 percent of the total amount of financial assistance for which the department determines the school district or public library board is eligible and provide a grant to the school district or public library board for the remainder of the total. The terms and conditions of any financial assistance under this section may include the provision of professional building construction services under s. 16.85 (15). The department shall determine the interest rate on loans under this section. The interest rate shall be as low as possible but shall be sufficient to fully pay all interest expenses incurred by the state in making the loans and to provide reserves that are reasonably expected to be required in the judgment of the department to ensure against losses arising from delinquency and default in the repayment of the loans. The term of a loan under this section may not exceed 10 years.

(3) Repayment of loans. The department shall credit all moneys received from school districts for repayment of loans under this section to the appropriation account under s. 20.505 (4) (ha). The department shall credit all moneys received from public library boards or from municipalities on behalf of public library boards for repayment of loans under this section to the appropriation account under s. 20.505 (4) (hb).

(3m) Public debt repayment. To the extent that sufficient moneys for the provision of educational telecommunications access under s. 16.997 are available in the appropriation account under s. 20.505 (4) (mp) after payment of the administrative expenses specified in s. 20.505 (4) (mp), the department shall use those available moneys to reimburse s. 20.505 (4) (es) and (et) for the payment of principal and interest costs incurred in financing educational technology infrastructure financial assistance under this section and to make full payment of the amounts determined by the building commission under s. 13.488 (1) (m).

(4) Funding for financial assistance. The department, subject to the limits of s. 20.866 (2) (zc) and (zcm), may request that the building commission contract public debt in accordance with ch. 18 to fund financial assistance under this section.

History: 1997 a. 27, 41; 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 16, 104; 2003 a. 33 ss. 238q, 1068d to 1072d; Stats. 2003 s. 16.995; 2005 a. 25.