Section 37-187-3 - Legislative intent; definitions; Mississippi Pandemic Response Broadband Availability Grant Program Fund created(1) The Legislature finds and declares that due to the COVID-19 pandemic there is an immediate increased need for reliable Internet service in Mississippi, including expanded broadband access, to facilitate and assist with distance learning. Therefore, the Mississippi Department of Education shall establish the Mississippi Pandemic Response Broadband Availability Grant Program to provide grants to Mississippi public school districts, independent schools and Native American tribal schools for the purpose of expanding broadband access in the unserved areas of the State of Mississippi.(2) As used in this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings ascribed in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:(a) "Broadband access" means access to broadband services as defined in Section 77-17-3(d).(b) "COVID-19" means the Coronavirus Disease 2019.(c) "Department" means the Mississippi Department of Education.(3) There is hereby created in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated as the "Mississippi Pandemic Response Broadband Availability Grant Program Fund," which shall consist of funds made available by the Legislature in any manner and funds from any other source designated for deposit into such fund. Unexpended amounts remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not lapse into the State General Fund, and any investment earnings or interest earned on amounts in the fund shall be deposited to the credit of the fund. Monies in the fund shall be used for the purpose of providing payments to eligible Mississippi public school districts, independent schools and Native American tribal school districts as provided in this chapter. Monies in the fund shall be administered and disbursed by the department in compliance with the guidelines, guidance, rules, regulations and/or other criteria, as may be amended from time to time, of the United States Department of the Treasury regarding the use of monies from the Coronavirus Relief Fund established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. If on December 1, 2020, there are undistributed monies in the fund, or if at any other time undistributed monies in the fund are determined by the department to be ineligible to be spent by the department, those monies shall be transferred to the Unemployment Compensation Fund.Added by Laws, 2020, ch. 491, HB 1788,§ 3,(became law without the Governor's signature on July 9, 2020).