J. Todd Finnell, Ed.D.
County Superintendent of Schools
1398 Sperber Road, El Centro, CA 92243
Phone: (760) 312-6464 Fax: (760) 312-6565 www.icoe.org
Letter of Agency
Please complete and return this Letter of Agency (LOA) via DocuSign by August 15, 2024.
If preferred, you may:
Mail to:
California Library Connect
c/o Imperial County Office of Education
1398 Sperber Road
El Centro, CA 92243
OR Email to:
[email protected]
From:
________________________________________________________________________________ Name of Library Jurisdiction (Organization)/Library System This Letter of Agency (LOA) is to confirm our Organization’s participation in the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC) Consortium as an eligible member entity for the purpose of receiving E-Rate and California Teleconnect Fund (CTF) discounts.
E-Rate
This Letter of Agency is enacted for the following E-Rate Funding Years: 2024-25 and 2025-26.
I authorize CENIC (E-rate Entity No. 225495) to act on our Organization’s behalf in matters related to the federal E-Rate discount program for the purposes of securing those discounts on eligible telecommunications/data transmission services for eligible library locations. I understand that in submitting E-Rate forms, which include us in the consortium, CENIC is making certifications for our library or library system. By signing this LOA, I make the following certifications on behalf of our Organization:
1. I certify that our library or library system is eligible for assistance from a State Library Administrative Agency under the Library Services and Technology Act of 1996, Pub. L. No. 104-208, § 211 et seq., 110 Stat. 3009 (1996), which do not operate as for-profit businesses and whose budgets are completely separate from any school (including, but not limited to, elementary, secondary schools, colleges, or universities).
2. I certify that our Organization has secured access, separately or through this program, to all of the resources, including computers, training, software, internal connections, maintenance, and electrical capacity, necessary to use the services acquired by CENIC on our behalf. I recognize that some of the aforementioned resources are not eligible for support. I certify that to the extent that the billed entity is passing through the non-discounted charges for the services requested under this Letter of Agency, that the entities I represent have secured access to all of the resources to pay the non-discounted charges for eligible services from funds to which access has been secured in the current funding year.
3. I certify that the services the Organization purchases or receives at discounts provided by 47 U.S.C.§ 254 will be used primarily for educational purposes and will not be sold, resold, or transferred in consideration for money or any other thing of value, except as permitted by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) at 47 C.F.R. § 54.500 (et seq.).
4. I certify that our Organization has complied with all program rules and I acknowledge that failure to do so may result in denial of discount funding and/or cancellation of funding commitments. I acknowledge that failure to comply with program rules could result in civil or criminal prosecution by the appropriate law enforcement authorities.
5. I acknowledge that the discount level used for shared services is conditional, forfuture years, upon ensuring that the most disadvantaged schools and libraries that are treated as sharing in the service, receive an appropriate share of benefits from those services.
6. I certify that our Organization will retain the required documents for at least ten years after the last day of service delivered. I certify that our Organization will retain all documents necessary to demonstrate our participation in the consortium and compliance with the statute and Commission rules regarding the application for, receipt of, and delivery of services receiving schools and libraries discounts and that if audited, I will make such records available to the Administrator. I acknowledge that I may be audited pursuant to participation in the Schools and Libraries Program.
7. I certify that I am authorized to order telecommunications and other supported services for the eligible entity(ies) covered by this Letter of Agency. I certify that I am authorized to make this request on behalf of the eligible entity(ies) covered by this Letter of Agency, that I have examined this Letter, and that all of the information on this Letter is true and correct to the best of my knowledge, that the entities that will be receiving discounted services under this Letter pursuant to this application have complied with the terms, conditions, and purposes of the program, that no kickbacks were paid to anyone and that false statements on this form can be punished by fine or forfeiture under the Communications Act, 47 U.S.C. §§ 502, 503(b), or fine or imprisonment under Title 18 of the United States Code, 18 U.S.C. § 1001, and civil violations of the False Claims Act.
8. I acknowledge that FCC rules provide that persons who have been convicted of criminal violations or held civilly liable for certain acts arising from their participation in the Schools and Libraries support mechanism are subject to suspension and debarment from the program. I will institute reasonable measures to be informed, and will notify USAC should I be informed or become aware that I or any of the entities, or any person associated in any way with my entity and/or the entities, is convicted of a criminal violation or held civilly liable for acts arising from their participation in the Schools and Libraries support mechanism.
9. I certify that, to the best of my knowledge, the service provider will not pay the non-discount portion of the costs for eligible services. I acknowledge that the provision by the provider of a supported service of free services or products unrelated to the supported service or product constitutes a rebate of some or all of the cost of the supported services.
10. I certify that I am authorized to sign this Letter of Agency and, to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief, all information provided to CENIC for E-Rate submission is true and correct.
11. I understand that because CENIC must prepare its statewide application in advance, CENIC relies on data that is reported by participating schools and libraries in the E-Rate Productivity Center of the Universal Service Administrative Company. I therefore agree in advance that whatever NSLP data CENIC uses and can verify to the satisfaction of Universal Service Administrative Company/ Schools and Libraries Division (USAC/SLD) shall be the correct NSLP data for CENIC’s consortium application for our entity.
12. I authorize CENIC, as the consortium lead, to have rights under the Universal Service Administrative Company’s E-rate Productivity Center, or any future iterations of E-rate application processing, to act on behalf of my entity in activities related to the consortium, including but not limited, to filing, submitting and certifying forms.
13. I understand that persons willfully making false statements on the E-Rate forms or through this Letter of Agency can be punished by fine or forfeiture under the Communications Act, 47 U.S.C. §§ 502, 503(b), or fine or imprisonment under Title 18 of the United States Code, 18 U.S.C.
California Teleconnect Fund (CTF)
We, the undersigned, authorize the Imperial County Office of Education (ICOE) and the Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California (CENIC), to act on our behalf to complete, sign, and submit application(s) and supporting documentation for the California Teleconnect Fund (CTF) to the California Public Utilities Commission for the purpose of receiving CTF discounts on eligible communications services. We also authorize ICOE and CENIC to access the electronic Claim and Application Portal (eCAP), or any future iterations of CTF application processing, on our behalf to manage and facilitate applications and active status for our Organization’s eligible locations.
Certification for E-Rate and CTF
We certify that the information provided herein is true and correct to the best of our knowledge and belief. Any acts carried out by ICOE and/or CENIC on our behalf pursuant to this authorization shall remain in effect until revoked by the undersigned in writing. ____________________________________________________________________________________________
1. Printed Name of Library/Library System or Jurisdiction – should match how it appears in USAC’s system (Required)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Library/Library System FCC Registration Number (Required) ___________________________________________________________________________________________
3. USAC/E-rate Entity # (Required)
____________________________________________________________ _____________________________
4. Signature of authorized person (Required) Date Signed ___________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Printed name of authorized person (Required)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
6. Title or position of authorized person (Required)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
7. Printed e-mail for authorized person (Optional)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Phone for Library/Library System (Required)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
9. Printed name of contact person, if different from No. 5 above (Required) ___________________________________________________________________________________________
10. Title or position of contact person (Required)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
11. Phone for contact person (Required)
___________________________________________________________________________________________
12. Printed e-mail for contact person (Optional)