Plain English Summary
This bill requires North Carolina's Department of Public Instruction to develop a plan for providing temporary internet service to public schools during emergencies and establishes a funded Emergency Internet Service Fund. The bill appropriates $3.9 million for the 2025-2026 school year to support this emergency internet access program.
Arguments in Favor
Supporters argue this bill addresses a critical need by ensuring schools can maintain educational operations during emergencies when regular internet infrastructure fails due to natural disasters, severe weather, or other crises. They contend that reliable emergency internet access is essential for remote learning, student safety communications, and school operations, and that a dedicated state fund ensures schools don't bear these costs individually.
Arguments Against
Opponents may question whether $3.9 million is sufficient for statewide coverage and whether the plan addresses all technical challenges of rapidly deploying internet infrastructure during emergencies. Some may also express concern about the ongoing operational costs beyond the initial appropriation and whether this represents the best use of limited education funding compared to other classroom needs.
AI-generated analysis based on bill text. Always verify with official sources at ncleg.gov. This is not legal or political advice.
Sponsors
Primary Sponsor
Representative · District 64
Primary Sponsor
Representative · District 119
Primary Sponsor
Representative · District 85
Primary Sponsor
Representative · District 100
Cosponsors (20)
Representative · District 116
Representative · District 8
Representative · District 48
Representative · District 5
Representative · District 45
Representative · District 102
Representative · District 49
Representative · District 112
Representative · District 65
Representative · District 41
Representative · District 27
Representative · District 30
Representative · District 61
Representative · District 29
Representative · District 18
Representative · District 92
Representative · District 98
Representative · District 88
Representative · District 57
Representative · District 101