(1) The grant monies distributed under this chapter shall be used by school districts and schools to negotiate and contract with existing or potential broadband providers to increase or gain broadband access for the unserved areas where their students reside. To achieve such increased broadband access, the school districts and schools may utilize any broadband technology available to increase or gain broadband access in the unserved areas.(2) The use of grants shall be subject to audit by the United States Department of the Treasury's Office of Inspector General and the Mississippi Department of Education. A school district or school found to be fully or partially noncompliant with grant requirements shall return to the state all or a portion of the grant monies received. Recipient school districts and schools shall confirm their understanding of these terms.(3) Mississippi public school districts, independent schools and Native American tribal schools that receive grant monies under this chapter shall provide periodic project status reports to the Mississippi Department of Education and any other documentation that the Mississippi Department of Education determines is necessary this chapter shall provide periodic project status reports to the Mississippi Department of Education and any other documentation that the Mississippi Department of Education determines is necessary to ensure compliance with this chapter and the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established in Section 5001 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.Added by Laws, 2020, ch. 491, HB 1788,§ 5, (became law without the Governor's signature on July 9, 2020).
Mississippi Legal Code