Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Minnesota Senate Bill SF3095 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1.1 A bill for an act
2	2	1.2 relating to broadband; requiring Internet service providers to provide low-cost
3	3	1.3 broadband Internet to low-income Minnesotans; requiring reports; proposing
4	4	1.4 coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 237.
5	5	1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
6	6	1.6 Section 1. [237.083] BROADBAND FOR LOW-INCOME MINNESOTANS.
7	7	1.7 Subdivision 1.Definitions.For the purposes of this section, the term "broadband service"
8	8	1.8has the meaning given in section 116J.39, subdivision 1, paragraph (b).
9	9	1.9 Subd. 2.Low-income service.(a) Every person, business, or corporation, acting directly
10	10	1.10or through an agent, that provides or seeks to provide broadband service in Minnesota must
11	11	1.11offer broadband service to low-income consumers when a household is eligible for or
12	12	1.12receiving:
13	13	1.13 (1) Minnesota family investment program benefits;
14	14	1.14 (2) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits;
15	15	1.15 (3) medical assistance; or
16	16	1.16 (4) the low-income home energy assistance program under United States Code, title 42,
17	17	1.17chapter 94, subchapter II, sections 8621 to 8629.
18	18	1.18 (b) The low-income broadband service under this section must provide a minimum
19	19	1.19download speed of 25 megabits per second.
20	20	1.20 Subd. 3.Cost.(a) Broadband service for low-income consumers under this section must
21	21	1.21be provided at a cost of no more than:
22	22	1Section 1.
23	23	25-04562 as introduced03/21/25 REVISOR DTT/LN
24	24	SENATE
25	25	STATE OF MINNESOTA
26	26	S.F. No. 3095NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
27	27	(SENATE AUTHORS: HOFFMAN)
28	28	OFFICIAL STATUSD-PGDATE
29	29	Introduction and first reading03/27/2025
30	30	Referred to Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband, and Rural Development 2.1 (1) $15 per month for service that provides a minimum download speed of 25 megabits
31	31	2.2per second; or
32	32	2.3 (2) $20 per month for service that provides a minimum download speed of 200 megabits
33	33	2.4per second.
34	34	2.5 (b) The prices under this subdivision must be inclusive of any recurring taxes and fees
35	35	2.6such as recurring rental fees for service provider equipment required to obtain broadband
36	36	2.7service and usage fees. Broadband service providers shall allow low-income broadband
37	37	2.8service subscribers to purchase standalone or bundled cable or phone services separately.
38	38	2.9 (c) After 30 days' notice to its customers and the commission, broadband service providers
39	39	2.10may increase the price of the service required by this section by the lesser of the most recent
40	40	2.11change in the consumer price index or two percent per year. Broadband service providers
41	41	2.12may make a price increase under this paragraph:
42	42	2.13 (1) once every five years for plans under paragraph (a), clause (1); and
43	43	2.14 (2) once every two years for plans under paragraph (a), clause (2).
44	44	2.15 Subd. 4.Exception.The requirements in subdivisions 2 and 3 of this section do not
45	45	2.16apply to any broadband service provider providing service to no more than 20,000 households
46	46	2.17if the commission determines that compliance with the requirements would result in
47	47	2.18unreasonable or unsustainable financial impact on the broadband service provider.
48	48	2.19 Subd. 5.Contracts.Any contract or agreement for broadband service targeted to
49	49	2.20low-income consumers pursuant to this section or otherwise must have the same terms and
50	50	2.21conditions, other than price and speed, as the regularly priced offerings for similar service.
51	51	2.22 Subd. 6.Promotion.Every person, business, or corporation, acting directly or through
52	52	2.23an agent, that provides or seeks to provide broadband service in Minnesota shall make all
53	53	2.24commercially reasonable efforts to promote and advertise the availability of broadband
54	54	2.25service for low-income consumers, including but not limited to the prominent display of,
55	55	2.26and enrollment procedures for, the service on the provider's website and in any written and
56	56	2.27commercial promotional materials developed to inform consumers who may be eligible for
57	57	2.28service required by this section.
58	58	2.29 Subd. 7.Reporting.Every person, business, or corporation, acting directly or through
59	59	2.30an agent, that provides or seeks to provide broadband service in Minnesota shall submit to
60	60	2.31the commission no later than November 15 of each year a compliance report that includes:
61	61	2.32 (1) a description of the service offered pursuant to this section;
62	62	2Section 1.
63	63	25-04562 as introduced03/21/25 REVISOR DTT/LN 3.1 (2) the number of consumers enrolled in the service;
64	64	3.2 (3) a description of the procedures being used to verify the eligibility of customers
65	65	3.3receiving the service;
66	66	3.4 (4) a description and samples of the advertising or marketing efforts undertaken to
67	67	3.5advertise or promote the service;
68	68	3.6 (5) a description of all retail-rate products, including pricing, offered by the person,
69	69	3.7business, or corporation;
70	70	3.8 (6) a description, including speed and price, of all broadband products offered in
71	71	3.9Minnesota;
72	72	3.10 (7) the number of customers in arrears for the payment for broadband service, the
73	73	3.11percentage of customers in arrears that qualify for low-income broadband service, the
74	74	3.12number of households that have had their service terminated as a result of nonpayment, the
75	75	3.13number of customers whose service was terminated for arrears arising from nonpayment
76	76	3.14for services other than broadband service, and the number of households that have had their
77	77	3.15broadband service restored after being delinquent on their payments; and
78	78	3.16 (8) any other information the commission requires.
79	79	3.17 Subd. 8.Commission duties.By ..... and at least once every five years thereafter, the
80	80	3.18commission, in consultation with the Office of Broadband Development, shall determine
81	81	3.19if the minimum broadband download speed in this section should be increased to the Federal
82	82	3.20Communications Commission's benchmark broadband download speed or to another
83	83	3.21minimum broadband download speed if the Federal Communications Commission has not
84	84	3.22increased the benchmark. The commission shall also:
85	85	3.23 (1) inform the public about available broadband products, including retail-rate product
86	86	3.24offerings and low-income offerings; and
87	87	3.25 (2) periodically, but no less than once every five years, review eligibility and price
88	88	3.26requirements for the low-income service required pursuant to this section and inform the
89	89	3.27chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over
90	90	3.28utility regulation if the commission recommends changing the requirements to meet the
91	91	3.29needs of consumers.
92	92	3.30 Subd. 9.Enforcement.The attorney general shall enforce this section under section
93	93	3.318.31.
94	94	3.32 EFFECTIVE DATE.This section is effective ..........
95	95	3Section 1.
96	96	25-04562 as introduced03/21/25 REVISOR DTT/LN