Senate advances changes to Computers for Public Schools program; expands inmate training

Senate Bill 70, sponsored by Senator Stevenson, updated the Computers for Public Schools program and sought to formalize governance, training and distribution mechanisms for refurbished computers donated to schools.

Stevenson told the Senate the bill creates a three-member panel — a State Board of Education representative, a Department of Corrections representative and a governor designee — to make governance and distribution decisions. The bill authorizes both refurbishment and building computers from the ground up as part of prison-industry training; inmates receive relevant certification (Snow College and vendor certifications were referenced). Sponsors said roughly 300 refurbished computers had been delivered in pilot phases and about 60 inmates had participated in the training to date.

The legislation also signals a phase-out of the state subsidy that had masked the program’s true cost, allowing local school districts to decide whether to purchase refurbished or new machines based on transparent pricing. Floor questions addressed the age and usability of donated computers, the central collection points (bank drop-off locations coordinated with United Parcel Service), and the program’s potential budgetary impact for districts. Supporters argued the program provides workforce training for inmates and low-cost computer access for schools; some senators noted donated machines vary in condition and that many are unusable.

The Senate called the question and the bill was read for the third time; recorded passage or final disposition was placed on the chamber’s calendar per standard process.