An Act making appropriations to the University of Alaska for the establishment and operation of the Center for the New Economy and Technology and for improvements to computer science and technology programs; and providing for an effective date.

Posted: March 4, 2000
Contact: Representative Norman Rokeberg's office at (800) 773-4968

Alaska's University system should be a backbone for training entrepreneurs and students for the challenges to be faced in Alaska's workplace. Without the necessary infrastructure (connections, wiring, bandwidth connectivity, etc.) for computer science and technology programs, our students will be far behind the learning curve in these areas and, in fact, may migrate to other states for training and employment. House Bill 347 would grant funds to UAA and UAF to establish what is needed to train Alaskans for Alaskan jobs.

Under HB 374, $35 million would be appropriated to the University of Alaska, Anchorage, for the establishment and operation of the Center for the New Economy and Technology (CNET). CNET would be a place of research and learning. CNET would work closely with the current Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) to study the new economic paradigm along with computer science and technology.

UAA would also receive $15 million to cover the cost of connections, wiring, bandwidth connectivity and infrastructure for CNET and computer and science technology programs.

University of Alaska, Fairbanks, would be granted $10 million to cover infrastructure relating to computer science and technology and enhancement of bandwidth connective.

The funds, $60 million total, would come from the Alaska science and technology foundation's (ASTF) funds. ASTF has been and is a player in the area of encouraging new Alaskan businesses; however, if we do not have any Alaskans trained to do the work or if the UA system does not have enough funding to train those Alaskans, then all Alaskans lose in the end: our young people go elsewhere for training and for jobs. Given the paradigm shift to a new technology-based economy, Alaskans must have the education and tools to participate in this global revolution. HB 374 provides one step to help Alaska reach this goal.

Sectional Analysis for HB 374