SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be established a commission to research the best methods of acquiring technology for students. The commission shall (1) identify and review the current policies in place to provide students with a personal computer or tablet; (2) evaluate the effect on benefits or drawbacks to providing students with a personal computer or tablet and its effects on the digital divide; (3) evaluate the interest of companies to work with the Commonwealth to provide students with a personal computer or tablet in lieu of selling devices back to the manufacturer; (4) evaluate how to best incentivize companies to take part in a program to provide personal computers or tablets to students and (5) recommend evidence based strategies that can be established to improve the digital divide at a reasonable cost.
The commission shall consist of the secretary of education, who shall serve as the chair; a representative from the executive office of technology and services; the speaker of the house of representatives or a designee; the president of the senate or a designee; the house minority leader or a designee; the senate minority leader or a designee; a representative from Associated Industries of Massachusetts; a representative from Tech Goes Home; 6 persons who shall be appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Boston Teachers Union, 1 of whom shall be a representative from Massachusetts charter schools, 1 of whom shall be a representative from MassInc, 1 of whom shall have extensive experience with the digital divide, and 1 of whom shall be a parent of a student in a low income district.
The commission shall submit a final report with its findings for providing technology to students, along with any recommendations regarding how to improve the digital divide, to the house and senate clerks, and the chairs of the joint committee of education, by December 31, 2021.
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The General Court provides this information as a public service and while we endeavor to keep the data accurate and current to the best of our ability, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.