[Third Reprint]

ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION No. 124

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED NOVEMBER 7, 1996

 

 

By Assemblymen WOLFE and DORIA

 

 

An Assembly Resolution urging the Board of Public Utilities to establish an advisory panel to study the issue of universal service and the impact of universal service on New Jersey's educational system.

 

Whereas, The education of the children of New Jersey is of the highest priority and all of New Jersey's students need to acquire the critical thinking and problem solving skills necessary to become productive citizens in the next century; and

Whereas, It is necessary to provide all children in New Jersey with the knowledge and skills necessary to become contributing members of a global, information-based society; and

Whereas, Elementary and secondary schools must prepare students to use the information and telecommunications technologies of the next century; and

Whereas, Because schools and libraries are in a unique position to serve as key points of affordable access to the information superhighway, and because school- and library-based networks have the potential to become community learning centers, such networks should be designed in a collaborative effort with the educational community to ensure that they can effectively meet the educational needs of all New Jersey residents; and

Whereas, The federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 supports the goal of creating a technologically rich learning environment by requiring that the provision of universal service encompass deployment of advanced telecommunications services to schools and libraries at discounted rates; and

Whereas, The federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 specifically preserves the authority of each state to adopt its own regulations, consistent with any rules promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission, to preserve and advance universal service, including the adoption of mechanisms to support access to advanced telecommunications services for schools and libraries within a state; and

Whereas, While a competitive environment is desirable, such an environment alone is not adequate to ensure that telecommunications providers will offer affordable rates for advanced telecommunications services to the educational community, and rates for schools and libraries should be sufficiently and permanently discounted to ensure that all telecommunications services, including, but not limited to, the provision of distance learning, video conferencing, and full graphical Internet access, are truly affordable for all schools and libraries; and

Whereas, The New Jersey educational community is a necessary participant in the dialogue on how to provide educators and students with advanced telecommunications services needed to improve the quality and efficiency of the educational process and prepare the next generation to become leaders in a technology-intensive society; and

Whereas, The definition of telecommunications services for schools and libraries that are eligible to receive universal service support should allow schools and libraries to choose from all available technologies and telecommunications services, recognizing that no two schools and libraries have the same technological needs, and that schools and libraries should be allowed to select the most appropriate services for their individual educational goals; and

Whereas, The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities should rely on the expertise of the State's educational community, which is comprised of many segments, each with its own unique perspective and expertise, in developing universal service policies and regulations that are effective in advancing the educational goals and objectives of the State relative to the deployment of advanced telecommunications and information technologies; and

Whereas, It is, therefore, altogether fitting and proper, and within the public interest, to urge the Board of Public Utilities to establish a broad-based Education Advisory Panel on Universal Service to make recommendations to the board on those universal service issues that are related to and impact upon New Jersey's education system; now, therefore,

 

    Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

    1. This House urges the Board of Public Utilities to establish a broad-based Education Advisory Panel on Universal Service to receive testimony and other information and to advise the board on how it should design and implement universal service policies and regulations to best meet the educational needs of New Jersey's students and expand access for schools 1[and] ,1 libraries 1and colleges and universities1 to advanced telecommunications services.

 

    2. The Education Advisory Panel on Universal Service should represent all segments of the educational community and, at a minimum, should include one representative from each of the following:

    (a) The New Jersey School Boards Association;

    (b) The New Jersey Association of School Administrators;

    (c) The New Jersey Association of School Business Officials;

    (d) The New Jersey Education Association;

    (e) The New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association;

    (f) The New Jersey Congress of Parents and Teachers;

    (g) The Commission on Business Efficiency of the Public Schools;

    (h) The Joint Committee on Public Schools of the New Jersey Legislature;

    (i) The Education Committee of the New Jersey Senate;

    (j) The Education Committee of the New Jersey General Assembly;

    (k) The New Jersey Department of Education; 1[and]1

    (l) The American Federation of Teachers 1;

    (m) The New Jersey Commission on Higher Education; 3[and]3

    (n) The New Jersey Presidents' Council1 3[ .

2The President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the General Assembly, and the Minority Leader of the General Assembly shall each appoint one member to the advisory panel from among the representatives outlined pursuant to this section.2 ] ;and

    (o) The New Jersey Catholic Conference.3

 

    3. The Education Advisory Panel on Universal Service should include 1at least1 one representative from each of the following fields: cable; telecommunications; broadcast; and computer industries. The President of the Board of Public Utilities and the Ratepayer Advocate should also participate on the panel as 1[ex officio]1 members.

 

    34. The President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the General Assembly, and the Minority Leader of the General Assembly shall each appoint one member of the advisory panel from among the representatives outlined pursuant to sections 2 and 3 of this resolution.3

 

    3[4.] 5.3 The Board of Public Utilities should consider the recommendations of the Education Advisory Panel on Universal Service and take such recommendations fully into account before


adopting any rule, regulation, or policy pertaining to universal service to schools and libraries.

 

    3[5] 6.3 Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and attested to by the Clerk thereof, shall be transmitted to the President and Commissioners of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and the Director of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities' Division of Telecommunications.

 

 

                             

 

Urges BPU to establish an "Education Advisory Panel on Universal Service."