HB 945

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to broadband Internet service;
3	amending s. 364.0135, F.S.; revising provisions to
4	promote adoption of broadband Internet service;
5	providing for the Department of Economic Opportunity
6	to receive and manage certain federal funds; directing
7	the department to establish a public-private
8	partnership to perform certain functions; authorizing
9	the department to accept certain funds, enter into
10	contracts, and establish committees and workgroups for
11	certain purposes; authorizing the department to adopt
12	rules; removing authority of the Department of
13	Management Services to perform certain functions;
14	providing an effective date.
15
16	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18	Section 1.  Section 364.0135, Florida Statutes, is amended
19	to read:
20	364.0135  Promotion of broadband adoption.-
21	(1)  The Legislature finds that the sustainable adoption of
22	broadband Internet service is critical to the economic, and
23	business, and community development of the state and is
24	beneficial for libraries, schools, colleges and universities,
25	health care providers, and community organizations. The term
26	"sustainable adoption" means the ability for communications
27	service providers to offer broadband services in all areas of
28	the state by encouraging adoption and utilization levels that
29	allow for these services to be offered in the free market absent
30	the need for governmental subsidy.
31	(2)  The Department of Economic Opportunity shall be the
32	state's single designated entity to receive and manage all
33	federal Department of Commerce State Broadband Initiative funds
34	and shall establish a public-private partnership that will
35	Management Services is authorized to work collaboratively with,
36	and to receive staffing support and other resources from,
37	Enterprise Florida, Inc., state agencies, local governments,
38	private businesses, nonprofit corporations, and community
39	organizations to:
40	(a)  Monitor the adoption of broadband Internet service in
41	collaboration with communications service providers, including,
42	but not limited to, wireless and wireline Internet service
43	providers, to develop geographical information system maps at
44	the census tract level that will, at a minimum:
45	1.  Identify geographic gaps in broadband services,
46	including areas unserved by any broadband provider and areas
47	served by a single broadband provider at the census block level
48	of detail;
49	2.  Identify the download and upload transmission speeds
50	made available to businesses and individuals in the state, at
51	the census block tract level of detail, using data rate
52	benchmarks for broadband service used by the Federal
53	Communications Commission to reflect different speed tiers; and
54	3.  Provide a baseline assessment of statewide broadband
55	deployment in terms of percentage of households with broadband
56	availability.
57	(b)  Create a strategic plan, developed with the use of
58	consumer research into residential and business technology
59	utilization data, which that has goals and strategies for
60	increasing the use of broadband Internet service in the state.
61	(c)  Build and facilitate local technology planning teams
62	or partnerships with members representing cross-sections of the
63	community, which may include, but are not limited to,
64	representatives from the following organizations and industries:
65	libraries, K-12 education, colleges and universities, local
66	health care providers, private businesses, community
67	organizations, economic development organizations, local
68	governments, tourism, parks and recreation, and agriculture.
69	(d)  Encourage the use of broadband Internet service,
70	especially in the rural, unserved, and underserved communities
71	of the state through grant programs having effective strategies
72	to facilitate the statewide deployment of broadband Internet
73	service. For any grants to be awarded, priority must be given to
74	projects that:
75	1.  Provide access to broadband education, awareness,
76	training, access, equipment, and support to libraries, schools,
77	colleges and universities, health care providers, and community
78	support organizations.
79	2.  Encourage the sustainable adoption of broadband in
80	primarily unserved areas by removing barriers to entry.
81	3.  Work toward encouraging investments in establishing
82	affordable and sustainable broadband Internet service in
83	unserved areas of the state.
84	4.  Facilitate the development of applications, programs,
85	and services, including, but not limited to, telework,
86	telemedicine, and e-learning to increase the usage of, and
87	demand for, broadband Internet service in the state.
88	(3)  The department may apply for and accept federal funds
89	for purposes of this section, as well as gifts and donations
90	from individuals, foundations, and private organizations.
91	(4)  The department may enter into contracts necessary or
92	useful to carry out the purposes of this section.
93	(5)  The department may establish any committee or
94	workgroup to administer and carry out the purposes of this
95	section.
96	(6)  The department may adopt rules necessary to carry out
97	the purposes of this section. Any rule, contract, grant, or
98	other activity undertaken by the department shall ensure that
99	all entities are in compliance with any applicable federal or
100	state laws, rules, and regulations, including, but not limited
101	to, those applicable to private entities providing
102	communications services for hire and the requirements of s.
103	350.81.
104	Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2012.

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