SB 449 — Continuing Budget Operations Part IV.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 S 21 SENATE BILL 449 Education/Higher Education Committee Substitute Adopted 4/9/25 Short Title:

Senators Lee, Corbin, and Overcash (Primary Sponsors).

Rules and Operations of the Senate March 25, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT TO REQUIRE ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY COLLEGES, AND CONSTITUENT INSTITUTIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA TO EVALUATEREQUIRE CERTAINMINIMUM CONSIDERATIONS ON TECHNOLOGY COSTS AND TO REQUIRE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO REPORT ON BREAK/FIX RATE.

SECTIONSECTION1.(a) 1.(a)G.S. Part 3A of Article 8 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by adding the following new sections to read:

"§115C-12is 115C-102.10.amendedbyaddingthefollowingnewsubdivisions to read:

Technology"(50) costsRule considerations.on technology costs.

– The State Board of Education shall adopt rules requiringthat require all public school units to evaluate the following when acquiring technology, computer hardware, and software:

(1)a. The long-term cost of ownership, including costs of repairing the technology, computer hardware, or software.

(2)The Anylong-term flexibilitycost forof innovationownership, duringincluding thecosts life of repairing the technology, computer hardware, or software.

(3)b. Any anticipated resale or salvage value at the end of the target life cycle for the technology, computer hardware, or software based on the average resale or salvage value of similar technology, computer hardware, or software as a percentage of the initial cost of purchase.

"§Any 115C-102.11.flexibility for innovation during the life of the technology, computer hardware, or software.

Break/fixc. rate reporting requirement.

(a)Any Definitions.anticipated resale or salvage value at the end of the target life cycle for the technology, computer hardware, or software based on the average resale or salvage value of similar technology, computer hardware, or software as a percentage of the initial cost of purchase.

–(51) TheReporton followingbreak/fix definitionsrate. apply in this section:

(1)– Break/fixTheState rate.Board shall reportto theJoint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by November 15 of each year on the break/fix rate of technology across all public school units based on the information provided by public school units pursuant to G.S.

–115C-47(70), The115C-218.33, percentage115C-238.66(4a), obtained115C-150.12C(37), byand dividing116-239.8(b)(6a). the number of school technology devices reported as malfunctioning or needing repair due to physical damage, hardware failure, or other breakage incidents prior to the stated life cycle period, not covered by insurance or a policy plan period, by the total number of school technologydevices in operation during that period.

(2)The Schoolreport technologyshall device.include a summaryof the data reported bypublic school units as well as recommendations to reduce break/fix rates in the future." SECTION 1.(b) G.S.

–115C-47 Anyis electronicamended orby computerizedadding equipment provided for educational purposes in a publicnew schoolsubdivision unit, including computers, tablets, interactive whiteboards, and similar devices or anything considered a digital device for purposes of the digital learning dashboard pursuant to G.S.read:

"(70) Report on break/fix rate.

– a.

The following definitions shall apply in this subdivision:

1.

Break/fix rate.

– The percentage obtained by dividing the number of school technology devices that have been reported as malfunctioning or requiring repair due to physical damage, hardware failure, orother breakageincidents prior to statedlife cycle period, not covered by insurance or a policy plan period, by the total number of technology devices in operation during that period.

*S449-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 2.

School technology device.

– Any electronic or computerized equipment provided for educational purposes in a public school unit, including, but not limited to, computers, tablets, interactive whiteboards, and similar devices or anything considered a digital device for purposes of the digital learning dashboard pursuant to G.S.

(b)b. Each governing body of a public school unit shall submit a report on the following information to the State Board of Education by August 15 annually:

(1)Each Thelocal break/fixboard rate of theeducation schoolshall technologysubmit devicesa inreport to the publicState schoolBoard unitofEducationandtheJoint forLegislativeEducationOversightCommittee on the previousbreak/fix rate of school technology devices by August 15 of each year.

*S449-v-2* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (2) The totalreport numbershall ofinclude school technology devices currently in operation in the publicfollowing: school unit.

(3)1. The total number of school technology devices in the public school unit requiring repair that (i) underwent repair or (ii) were no longer in service during the previous school year.

(4) The totalbreak/fix amountrate, ofas fundsdefined spentin tosub-subdivision repaira. or replace school technologydevices during the previous school year.

(c)of TheStateBoardofEducationshallthis reporttotheJointsubdivision, LegislativeEducationOversightof Committee by November 15 annually on the break/fixlocal rate of school technologyadministrative devicesunit acrossfrom allthe publicprevious school unitsyear. based on the reports submitted bythe governing bodies in accordance with subsection (b) of this section.

This2. report shall include a summary of the data reported by each governing body and recommendations to reduce break/fix rates in the future." SECTION 1.(b) The first reports from governing bodies of public school units required by G.S.

115C-102.11(b),The astotal enactednumber byof thisschool section,technology shalldevices becurrently submittedin nooperation laterin thanthe Augustlocal 15, 2026, based on data collected duringthe 2025-2026 school year.administrative unit.

The3. first report from the State Board of Education required by G.S.

115C-102.11(c),The astotal enactednumber byof thisschool section,technology shalldevices bein submittedthe local school administrative unit requiring repair, that have undergone repair, or are no laterlonger thanin Novemberservice 15,during 2026.the previous school year.

SECTION4. 2.(a) G.S.

115C-12The istotal amendedamount byof addingfunds aspent newto subdivisionrepair toor read:replace school technology devices during the previous school year." SECTION 1.(c) G.S.

"(50)115C-150.12C Tois Requireamended Evaluationby ofadding Technologya Costs.new subdivision to read: