HB 7091

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to broadband Internet service; providing
3	legislative findings and intent; authorizing the
4	Department of Management Services to engage in certain
5	activities related to assessing the need for broadband
6	Internet service in the state, planning for such service,
7	and encouraging the statewide deployment of such service;
8	authorizing the department to apply for and accept certain
9	funds; authorizing the department to enter into contracts;
10	authorizing the department to establish committees or
11	workgroups; authorizing the department to adopt rules;
12	authorizing the department to adopt emergency rules;
13	providing legislative findings; exempting such emergency
14	rules from certain administrative procedures; providing an
15	effective date.
16
17	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
18
19	Section 1.  (1)  The Legislature finds that broadband
20	Internet service is critical to the economic development of the
21	state and is beneficial for libraries, schools, colleges and
22	universities, health care providers, and community
23	organizations. The Legislature further finds that barriers exist
24	to the statewide deployment of broadband Internet service,
25	especially in rural, unserved, or underserved communities. The
26	Legislature therefore intends to promote the efficient and
27	effective deployment of broadband Internet service throughout
28	the state through a coordinated statewide effort.
29	(2)  The Department of Management Services is authorized to
30	work collaboratively with, and to receive staffing support and
31	other resources from, Enterprise Florida, Inc., state agencies,
32	local governments, private businesses, and community
33	organizations to:
34	(a)  Conduct a needs assessment of broadband Internet
35	service in collaboration with communications service providers,
36	including, but not limited to, wireless and wireline Internet
37	service providers, to develop geographical information system
38	maps at the census tract level that:
39	1.  Identify geographic gaps in broadband Internet service,
40	including areas unserved by any broadband service provider and
41	areas served by a single broadband service provider.
42	2.  Identify the download and upload transmission speeds
43	made available to businesses and individuals in the state, at
44	the census tract level of detail, using the data rate benchmarks
45	for broadband service used by the Federal Communications
46	Commission to reflect different speed tiers.
47	3.  Provide a baseline assessment of statewide broadband
48	Internet service deployment in terms of the percentage of
49	households with broadband service availability.
50	(b)  Create a strategic plan that has goals and strategies
51	for increasing the use of broadband Internet service in the
52	state.
53	(c)  Build and facilitate local technology planning teams
54	or partnerships with members representing cross-sections of the
55	community, which may include, but are not limited to,
56	representatives from the following organizations and industries:
57	libraries, K-12 education, colleges and universities, local
58	health care providers, private businesses, community
59	organizations, economic development organizations, local
60	governments, tourism, parks and recreation, and agriculture.
61	(d)  Encourage the use of broadband Internet service,
62	especially in the rural, unserved, and underserved communities
63	of the state through grant programs that utilize effective
64	strategies to facilitate the statewide deployment of broadband
65	Internet service. For any grants to be awarded, priority must be
66	given to projects that:
67	1.  Provide access to broadband education, awareness,
68	training, access, equipment, and support to libraries, schools,
69	colleges and universities, health care providers, and community
70	support organizations.
71	2.  Encourage investments in primarily unserved areas to
72	give consumers a choice of more than one broadband service
73	provider.
74	3.  Work toward establishing affordable and sustainable
75	broadband Internet service in unserved areas of the state.
76	4.  Facilitate the development of applications, programs,
77	and services, including, but not limited to, telework,
78	telemedicine, and e-learning to increase the usage of, and
79	demand for, broadband Internet service in the state.
80	(3)  The department may apply for and accept federal funds
81	for purposes of this section, as well as gifts and donations
82	from individuals, foundations, and private organizations.
83	(4)  The department may enter into contracts to carry out
84	the purposes of this section and is encouraged to contract with
85	nonprofit entities when feasible.
86	(5)  The department may establish any committee or
87	workgroup for purposes of administering this section.
88	(6)  The department may adopt rules pursuant to ss.
89	120.536(1) and 120.54, Florida Statutes, to administer this
90	section, including, but not limited to, rules that define terms
91	for purposes of this section.
92	(7)  The department may adopt emergency rules pursuant to
93	s. 120.54, Florida Statutes. The Legislature finds that such
94	emergency rulemaking authority is necessary for preservation of
95	the rights and welfare of the public in order to provide
96	additional funds for the benefit of this state. The Legislature
97	further finds that the activity authorized in this section
98	requires that the department periodically respond as quickly as
99	practicable to changes in the marketplace and the federal and
100	state regulatory environment. Therefore, in adopting such
101	emergency rules, the department need not make the findings
102	required by s. 120.54(4)(a), Florida Statutes.
103	Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.