RALEIGH — North Carolina counties could spend their share of state lottery profits on digital textbooks and devices and high-speed Internet for local schools in a bill that's cleared the N.C. House.

Representatives voted overwhelmingly Thursday in favor of the bill, which gives counties the ability to use money that right now must be spent on brick-and-mortar school construction. The overall distribution of lottery profits to counties wouldn't change.

Bill sponsor N.C. Rep. Craig Horn of Union County said the measure gives flexibility to school districts to meet increasing needs for classroom technology. Counties won't be able to spend on technology after mid-2016 unless a local district is improving student performance adequately.

Counties received $108 million from the lottery this past year. The bill now goes to the Senate.