Cable customers could seek a prorated refund in New York state if their service was disconnected or downgraded, under a bill cleared unanimously Monday by the legislature’s Senate Telecom Committee. The panel voted unanimously at the webcast hearing to send S-493 by Sen. Leroy Comrie (D) to the floor. Also, the panel cleared a bill that would require the New York Public Service Commission to map mobile coverage and reliability across the state and then make a plan to ensure reliable coverage statewide. No committee member voted against advancing S-6318, though Sen. Thomas O’Mara (R) voted aye without recommendation. Sen. Michelle Hinchey (D) sponsored the bill, which will go next to the Finance Committee. “There are three main cell service providers and the only known coverage maps are created by them,” said the bill’s purpose statement. “Through lived experience, we know these maps to be inadequate.”

The Computer & Communications Industry Association opposed a Massachusetts bill (S-1896) that would establish a municipal broadband fund using revenue from a proposed tax on personal data. While the current bill doesn’t set the tax, it would require entities that sell personal data to register annually with the Department of Revenue and would direct the department to recommend ways to tax them, CCIA said Tuesday in written comments filed with the legislature’s Joint Revenue Committee. “Determining how to count the number of consumers applicable under this type of tax would pose significant technical difficulties and confusion,” warned the group: Businesses would likely pass through the tax’s costs to customers. Taxes targeting online services raise constitutional concerns under the commerce clause, added CCIA.

An Arizona social media bill passed by a slim margin in the state House Monday. The Arizona House voted 31-27 to return SB-1106 to the Senate, which then recommended a conference committee to work out differences between chambers. The bill would prohibit websites from deplatforming candidates and require them to publish and follow standards for censoring users. The tech industry says the proposed law would be unconstitutional (see 2303290033). Elsewhere, the Louisiana Senate will soon consider a bill to require social media companies to verify the age of users, and collect parental approval for minors, before allowing them to get accounts. SB-162 would also restrict minors from accessing social media between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. The Finance committee cleared the bill at a Monday meeting. The Texas House voted 86-55 Tuesday for SB-1602, which would clarify enforcement of the state’s litigated social media censorship law. The Senate passed the bill March 29 (see 2303310029).

The Nebraska Public Service Commission reviewed challenges to applications for federal Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund grants Tuesday. Commissioners voted 5-0 for the order in docket CPF-1 at a livestreamed meeting. The commission upheld two and denied four Windstream challenges to Allo Communications projects, while upholding three challenges by Allo to Windstream applications. The PSC upheld three of 10 challenges by Windstream and one by Zito Midwest to Nextlink Internet applications. The agency upheld three of five Windstream challenges, while denying one Nextlink challenge, to Pinpoint Communications projects. The PSC denied three challenges by Nextlink and one by Midstates Data to Lumen projects. It upheld one of three Windstream challenges to Charter Communications projects. The PSC upheld one Windstream challenge to a Vyve Broadband project and denied one Nextlink challenge to a Stealth Broadband application. Also, the PSC said one application by Cox, one by Windstream and six by Great Plains Communications were withdrawn or incomplete and therefore not eligible for funding. Also at the meeting, Nebraska PSC members voted 5-0 for an order to release a 2023 schedule and application materials for the Nebraska Broadband Bridge Program. Applications will be accepted June 16-26. The program provides up to $20 million annually for broadband networks with at least 100 Mbps symmetrical speeds.

New York state will spend $55 million on emergency communications grants, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said Monday. It will include a $45 million state interoperable communications formula grant for the state to reimburse counties for emergency communications systems and a $10 million public safety answering point operations grant program covering call-taking and dispatching costs. “"This funding is critical to strengthening New York's emergency response capabilities,” said Hochul. The deadline for both programs is June 26.

A proposed Texas House constitutional amendment on creating a state broadband fund will go to the Senate floor, but senators are making changes that would require House agreement. The Senate Finance Committee voted unanimously at a livestreamed hearing Monday on substitutes to HJR-125 and on an accompanying bill (HB-9) that passed the House by wide margins last month (see 2304270056). Substitute text wasn’t immediately available Monday. Sen. Robert Nichols (R) supported the bills but said he wants to work with sponsors on adding language to require a local matching requirement. “People treat money better when they have a little skin in the game,” said Nichols, saying even a 10% local match would help. AT&T supports the proposal to create a "comprehensive funding mechanism that takes a holistic approach,” David Tate, retired vice president-legal affairs, testified at the hearing. State funding now is important, with Texas not due to receive federal money until 2025 from NTIA’s broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program, said Texas Cable Association President Walt Baum. But the Taxpayers Protection Alliance thinks making residents pay for a $5 billion fund is a “waste of money and fiscally irresponsible.” Texas 9-1-1 Alliance Chairman Chip VanSteenberg supports the bill including funding for next-generation 911. The existing 50-cent 911 surcharge on phone bills hasn’t kept up with rising costs, he said.

Oklahoma will open electrical utility easements to broadband networks by ISPs and electric companies. Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) signed HB-1965 Thursday, two days after it passed the legislature (see 2305110016). The same day in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed SB-1418, which aims to support the state’s transition to next-generation 911 (see 2305030064). In Illinois, the Senate voted 56-0 Thursday to pass SB-851, which would require the state’s broadband advisory council to study expanding the Illinois Century Network to public schools, libraries and prisons.

Texas state senators passed a video bill Thursday to ensure franchise fees don’t apply to satellite and streaming TV services. Local governments opposed SB-1117 (see 2303210043). It goes next to the House.

Oklahoma legislators sent the governor a broadband bill Wednesday to allow electrical utility easements to be used for high-speed networks by ISPs and electric companies. The House voted 83-0 Tuesday to agree with Senate amendments to HB-1965. The bill would ban “class action lawsuits alleging trespass, nuisance or inverse condemnation based on a claim of expanded easement use when the broadband facilities are located on above ground property owned or utilized by an electric provider,” said a summary of the amended bill.

New Jersey lawmakers merged two data broker bills at a livestreamed hearing Thursday. The Assembly Science, Innovation and Technology Committee voted unanimously to advance a committee substitute that combines A-4811 and A-5254 and would require a state data broker registry. A-4811 sponsor Assemblymember William Moen (D) will sponsor the combined bill, said his legislative director, Kyle Hanson. That there were two bills on the same subject shows it’s “crucial” to act, Moen told the committee: He pledged to work with stakeholders on the bill over “the next few months.”