Vermont will extend a state telecom siting process by three years. Gov. Phil Scott (R) signed H-110 Thursday. It delays the sunset on the 2007-established Section 248(a) procedure until July 1, 2026, while making no changes to the process (see 2305010067).
State telecom and internet bills passed origin chambers in California and New Jersey last week. The California Assembly voted 63-0 to pass AB-414 to establish a digital equity bill of rights for Californians. The Assembly voted 77-0 for AB-1282, which would require a study on mental health risks of social media for children. The Senate voted 40-0 for SB-318 to require the California Department of Social Services to develop and run a grant program for support services for 211. In New Jersey, the Assembly voted 72-2 to pass A-3769 to require music and video websites to disclose their correct contact information. All the bills will go to their opposite chambers.
Florida awarded another $60 million through its Broadband Opportunity Program, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said Friday. The funding will go to 22 fiber and fixed wireless projects in 19 counties. It brings Florida’s total broadband spending this year to about $226 million, said DeSantis.
State legislative chambers passed telecom and internet bills Wednesday. The New York Senate voted 46-15 for a bill that would allow phone and cable companies to notify third parties about bills at a customer’s request. AB-1368 earlier passed the Assembly but will need the governor’s approval. The California Senate voted 39-0 to pass SB-60, which would require social media platforms to remove posts on illegal drug sales. It will go to the Assembly. The Louisiana House voted 93-0 for HB-653 to update Granting Unserved Municipalities Broadband Opportunities grant rules. It next needs Senate approval.
The Montana Public Service Commission has new district boundaries based on a new state House district map rather than county lines, the commission said Wednesday. A state bill signed last month by Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) required changing the Montana PSC's five districts, which are each represented by one elected commissioner.
Massachusetts legislators “need to hear from more parties” on a bill that would require one-touch, make ready (OTMR) in the state, said Senate Chair Michael Barrett (D) at a Joint Telecommunications Committee hearing livestreamed Thursday. GoNetSpeed, a competitive telecom provider, urged the committee to support S-2133. But no other groups testified for or against the bill. The bill would speed network deployment, said GoNetSpeed Manager-Government Affairs Heidi Mahoney: State and federal laws give access to poles, but their owners "often caused unwarranted delays and obstacles.” More than 30 other states follow OTMR, including all other New England states, said GoNetSpeed Chief Legal Officer Jamie Hoare. Having multiple trucks come separately to make poles ready unnecessarily adds weeks and months into the process, he said. Noting the lack of opponents at the hearing, Barrett asked GoNetSpeed what concerns are commonly raised with OTMR. Owners often raise safety concerns, but the process is safe and owners get input in the process, said Hoare: Another common concern is that costs will be shifted to ratepayers, but there has not been evidence of that. Also, the chair asked if GoNetSpeed had asked the Department of Telecommunications and Cable to require OTMR. Hoare said the DTC has an active proceeding, but it’s unclear when it will conclude.
Minnesota will enact a right-to-repair bill covering smartphones and other digital devices. Gov. Tim Walz (D) signed a budget bill (SF-2744) containing the measure Wednesday. Consumer Reports applauded the new bill, which it said covers more kinds of electronics than New York state’s 2022 law. “It creates momentum to extend these rights to people across the country,” said CR policy analyst Laurel Lehman. “It’s the strongest, broadest right-to-repair law in the nation.” Meanwhile, Florida decided to keep state-level FirstNet information confidential. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed SB-7006 Wednesday, saving from repeal a public records exemption for FirstNet that would have expired Oct. 2 (see 2303090025).
Most states are using Capital Projects Fund dollars released so far by the Treasury Department to expand or create programs targeting last-mile service in unserved and underserved areas, Pew Charitable Trusts said Tuesday in an analysis. The availability of CPF funding has led to more states operating line extension programs that subsidize curb-to-home connections, it said. CPF money can be used for “digital connectivity technology projects,” such as to buy devices or public Wi-Fi equipment or multipurpose community facility projects, and Pew said four states said they will prioritize broadband access and adoption in affordable housing. It said since NTIA will require states to show they can fully reach every unserved area before broadband, equity, access and deployment program funds can be deployed for other uses, some states will use CPF as "an accelerator," reducing the number of unserved communities and giving those states more flexibility in how they use BEAD funding. It said for other states, CPF's relative flexibility lets them support programs that might not fit into BEAD, letting them augment funding available for devices or community anchor institutions under BEAD.
The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission "lacks express or implied statutory authority to ban" Q Link Wireless from filing a petition for eligible telecom carrier designation with the state, concluded the New Mexico Supreme Court in an opinion reversing the ban Monday in case S-1-SC-38812. The state commission adopted the ban after Q Link sought ETC designation in 2012 and filed a motion in 2019 to withdraw it after "lengthy and protracted proceedings before the commission's hearing examiner," the opinion said. Q Link initially sought the designation to provide Lifeline services to tribal and non-tribal households in the state. The commission didn't comment.
Prison calls will be free in Minnesota. Gov. Tim Walz (D) made his state the fourth to do so when he signed a budget bill (SF-2909) Friday. Connecticut, California and Colorado previously made calls free. The budget included $3.1 million annually to provide voice services for incarcerated people. “Eliminating these fees is the right thing to do,” said sponsor Sen. Clare Oumou Verbeten (D) in a Worth Rises news release. “Phone calls keep families connected.” Worth Rises expects more states to follow, said Executive Director Bianca Tylek.