Florida Senate - 2009 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 2092
Barcode 630744
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
04/14/2009 .
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The Committee on Communications, Energy, and Public Utilities
(King) recommended the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete everything after the enacting clause
4 and insert:
5 Section 1. (1) The Legislature finds that broadband
6 Internet service is critical to the economic development of the
7 state and is beneficial for libraries, schools, colleges and
8 universities, health care providers, and community
9 organizations. The Legislature further finds that barriers exist
10 to the statewide deployment of broadband Internet service,
11 especially in rural, unserved, or underserved communities. The
12 Legislature therefore intends to promote the efficient and
13 effective deployment of broadband Internet service throughout
14 the state through a coordinated statewide effort.
15 (2) The Department of Management Services is authorized to
16 work collaboratively with, and to receive staffing support and
17 other resources from, Enterprise Florida, Inc., state agencies,
18 local governments, private businesses, and community
19 organizations to:
20 (a) Conduct a needs assessment of broadband Internet
21 service in collaboration with communications service providers,
22 including, but not limited to, wireless and wireline Internet
23 service providers, to develop geographical information system
24 maps at the census tract level that will:
25 1. Identify geographic gaps in broadband services,
26 including areas unserved by any broadband provider and areas
27 served by a single broadband provider;
28 2. Identify the download and upload transmission speeds
29 made available to businesses and individuals in the state, at
30 the census tract level of detail, using data rate benchmarks for
31 broadband service used by the Federal Communications Commission
32 to reflect different speed tiers; and
33 3. Provide a baseline assessment of statewide broadband
34 deployment in terms of percentage of households with broadband
35 availability.
36 (b) Create a strategic plan that has goals and strategies
37 for increasing the use of broadband Internet service in the
38 state.
39 (c) Build and facilitate local technology planning teams or
40 partnerships with members representing cross-sections of the
41 community, which may include, but are not limited to,
42 representatives from the following organizations and industries:
43 libraries, K-12 education, colleges and universities, local
44 health care providers, private businesses, community
45 organizations, economic development organizations, local
46 governments, tourism, parks and recreation, and agriculture.
47 (d) Encourage the use of broadband Internet service,
48 especially in the rural, unserved, and underserved communities
49 of the state through grant programs having effective strategies
50 to facilitate the statewide deployment of broadband Internet
51 service. For any grants to be awarded, priority must be given to
52 projects that:
53 1. Provide access to broadband education, awareness,
54 training, access, equipment, and support to libraries, schools,
55 colleges and universities, health care providers, and community
56 support organizations.
57 2. Encourage investments in primarily unserved areas to
58 give consumers a choice of more than one broadband Internet
59 service provider.
60 3. Work toward establishing affordable and sustainable
61 broadband Internet service in unserved areas of the state.
62 4. Facilitate the development of applications, programs,
63 and services, including, but not limited to, telework,
64 telemedicine, and e-learning to increase the usage of, and
65 demand for, broadband Internet service in the state.
66 (3) The department may apply for and accept federal funds
67 for purposes of this section, as well as gifts and donations
68 from individuals, foundations, and private organizations.
69 (4) The department is authorized to enter into contracts
70 necessary or useful to carry out the purposes of this section.
71 (5) The department is authorized to establish any committee
72 or workgroup to administer and carry out the purposes of this
73 section.
74 (6) The department is authorized to adopt rules necessary
75 to carry out the purposes of this section, including, without
76 limitation, the authority to establish definitions of terms
77 pertinent to this section.
78 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law.
79
80 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
81 And the title is amended as follows:
82 Delete everything before the enacting clause
83 and insert:
84 A bill to be entitled
85 An act relating to broadband Internet service;
86 providing legislative findings and intent; authorizing
87 the Department of Management Services to engage in
88 certain activities related to assessing the need for
89 broadband Internet service in the state, planning for
90 such service, and encouraging the statewide deployment
91 of such service; authorizing the department to apply
92 for and accept certain funds; authorizing the
93 department to enter into contracts; authorizing the
94 department to establish committees or workgroups;
95 authorizing the department to adopt rules; providing
96 an effective date.