SLS 19RS-2225 ORIGINAL
2019 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 177
BY SENATOR MIZELL
TELECOMMUNICATIONS. Creates the Task Force on Access to Broadband High-Speed
Internet Service.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To create the Task Force on Access to Broadband High-Speed Internet Service to study the
3 current impediments to rural access to broadband service and to devise solutions to
4 achieve statewide access to broadband high-speed internet service.
5 WHEREAS, in the modern economy, rural broadband is a lifeline to quality of life
6 and economic opportunity; and
7 WHEREAS, while broadband high-speed internet service is abundantly available in
8 Louisiana cities, it is woefully absent in the rural areas of the state; and
9 WHEREAS, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, eighty
10 percent of the twenty four-million American households who lack reliable, affordable,
11 high-speed internet are in rural areas; and
12 WHEREAS, the federal government, though the United States Department of
13 Agriculture, is currently making investments in broadband infrastructures to help transform
14 rural America, providing innovation and technology to increase economic competitiveness
15 and opportunities; and
16 WHEREAS, the United States Department of Agriculture currently provides loans
17 and grants to increase high-speed internet access in rural areas; and
18 WHEREAS, a task force to study the current impediments to rural access to
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SLS 19RS-2225 ORIGINAL
1 broadband service would be the best way to obtain funding for achieving statewide access
2 to high-speed internet broadband service.
3 THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
4 hereby creates the Task Force on Access to Broadband High-Speed Internet Service to study
5 the current impediments to rural access to broadband service in Louisiana and to devise
6 solutions to achieve statewide access to high-speed internet broadband service.
7 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be comprised of the
8 following members:
9 (1) The president of the Senate or his designee, who shall serve as chairman.
10 (2) The chairman of the Louisiana Public Service Commission or his designee.
11 (3) One member appointed by the Northshore Business Council.
12 (4) One member appointed by the Association of Louisiana Electric Cooperatives.
13 (5) The commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Forestry or his designee.
14 (6) The state's chief information officer for the office of technology services within
15 the division of administration or his designee.
16 (7) The secretary of Department of Economic Development or his designee.
17 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that task force members shall serve without
18 compensation or reimbursement of expense, other than what may be afforded by their
19 appointing authority, and that legislative members of the task force shall receive the same
20 per diem and reimbursement of travel expenses as provided for attendance at legislative
21 committee meetings under the rules of the respective house in which they serve.
22 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the names of the appointees and their designees
23 to the task force shall be submitted to the president of the Louisiana Senate no later than
24 August 15, 2019.
25 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a majority of the membership of the task force
26 constitutes a quorum and that if all task force members have not been appointed by
27 September 1, 2019, a majority of the appointed membership shall constitute a quorum.
28 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that no later than March 1, 2020, the task force shall
29 prepare a written report of its findings and recommendations to the Senate.
30 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution shall be transmitted
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SLS 19RS-2225 ORIGINAL
1 to the chairman of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, the Northshore Business
2 Council, the Association of Louisiana Business Cooperatives, the commissioner of the
3 Department of Agriculture and Forestry, the chief information officer of the office of
4 technology services, and the secretary of the Department of Economic Development.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Carla S. Roberts.
DIGEST
SR 177 Original 2019 Regular Session Mizell
Creates the Task Force on Access to Broadband High-Speed Internet Service to study the
current impediments to rural access to broadband service, to devise solutions to achieve
statewide access to high-speed internet broadband service, and to report findings and
recommendations to the Senate no later than March 1, 2020.
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