Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1103 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	86R11518 JXC-D
2	2	By: Perry S.B. No. 1103
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to the creation of the broadband office within the Public
8	8	Utility Commission of Texas and the establishment of a broadband
9	9	investment grant program.
10	10	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	11	SECTION 1. Subtitle A, Title 2, Utilities Code, is amended
12	12	by adding Chapter 18 to read as follows:
13	13	CHAPTER 18. BROADBAND OFFICE
14	14	Sec. 18.0101. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
15	15	(1) "Account" means the broadband investment account.
16	16	(2) "Broadband" means a mass-market retail service by
17	17	wire or radio that provides the capability to transmit data to and
18	18	receive data from all or substantially all Internet endpoints,
19	19	including capabilities that are incidental to and enable the
20	20	operation of the service. The term includes a service that is
21	21	functionally equivalent to the service described by this
22	22	subdivision. The term does not include dial-up Internet access.
23	23	(3) "Grant program" means the program established by
24	24	the broadband office under Section 18.0104.
25	25	(4) "Rural community" means a municipality with a
26	26	population of less than 50,000 or a county with a population of less
27	27	than 200,000.
28	28	Sec. 18.0102. OFFICE. (a) The broadband office is an
29	29	office within the commission.
30	30	(b) The commission may employ additional employees
31	31	necessary for the discharge of the duties of the office.
32	32	Sec. 18.0103. POWERS AND DUTIES. The broadband office
33	33	shall:
34	34	(1) facilitate and coordinate the efforts of state
35	35	agencies and local units of government, including regional planning
36	36	commissions, in connection with the planning and deployment of
37	37	broadband projects;
38	38	(2) develop broadband investment and deployment
39	39	strategies for rural communities and other areas of this state that
40	40	are underserved and unserved with respect to broadband;
41	41	(3) promote and coordinate public sector and private
42	42	sector broadband solutions in support of statewide broadband
43	43	development goals;
44	44	(4) assist and promote local and regional broadband
45	45	planning;
46	46	(5) pursue and obtain federal sources of broadband
47	47	funding;
48	48	(6) develop a framework to measure broadband access in
49	49	and designate areas of this state that are underserved and unserved
50	50	with respect to broadband;
51	51	(7) develop statewide goals for broadband deployment
52	52	in rural communities and other underserved and unserved areas
53	53	designated under Subdivision (6);
54	54	(8) manage and award funds allocated to the broadband
55	55	office for broadband projects; and
56	56	(9) serve as an information clearinghouse in relation
57	57	to federal programs providing assistance to local entities with
58	58	respect to broadband.
59	59	Sec. 18.0104. GRANT PROGRAM FOR BROADBAND INVESTMENT
60	60	PROJECTS. (a) The broadband office shall establish a program to
61	61	provide grants to public or private entities for projects that
62	62	stimulate the installation and maintenance of broadband in rural
63	63	communities and other underserved or unserved areas of this state
64	64	with respect to broadband.
65	65	(b) The commission by rule shall adopt standards for a
66	66	project eligible to be awarded a grant by the broadband office under
67	67	this section. In awarding a grant, the office shall consider:
68	68	(1) the financial strength of the applicant;
69	69	(2) the applicant's business history;
70	70	(3) an analysis of the relevant business sector;
71	71	(4) whether there is public or private sector
72	72	financial support for the project; and
73	73	(5) whether there is local support for the project.
74	74	Sec. 18.0105. BROADBAND INVESTMENT ACCOUNT. (a) The
75	75	broadband investment account is an account in the general revenue
76	76	fund.
77	77	(b) The account consists of:
78	78	(1) appropriations of money to the account by the
79	79	legislature;
80	80	(2) gifts, grants, including federal grants, and other
81	81	donations received under Section 18.0106; and
82	82	(3) interest earned on the investment of money in the
83	83	account.
84	84	(c) Money in the account may be appropriated only to the
85	85	broadband office for purposes of the grant program.
86	86	(d) The account is exempt from the application of Section
87	87	404.071, Government Code.
88	88	Sec. 18.0106. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. The broadband
89	89	office may accept gifts, grants, and donations from any source that
90	90	are made for the purposes of the grant program. The broadband
91	91	office shall deposit to the credit of the account money received
92	92	under this section.
93	93	Sec. 18.0107. RULEMAKING. The commission by rule shall
94	94	implement and administer the grant program.
95	95	SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.