| 1 | Representative Murzin offered the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Amendment (with title amendment) |
| 4 | Remove everything after the enacting clause 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: |
| 25 | 1. Identify geographic gaps in broadband Internet service, |
| 26 | including areas unserved by any broadband service provider and |
| 27 | areas served by a single broadband service 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 the data rate benchmarks |
| 31 | for broadband service used by the Federal Communications |
| 32 | Commission to reflect different speed tiers. |
| 33 | 3. Provide a baseline assessment of statewide broadband |
| 34 | Internet service deployment in terms of the percentage of |
| 35 | households with broadband service 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 |
| 40 | or 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 that utilize effective |
| 50 | strategies to facilitate the statewide deployment of broadband |
| 51 | Internet service. For any grants to be awarded, priority must be |
| 52 | given to 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 service |
| 59 | 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 may enter into contracts to carry out |
| 70 | the purposes of this section and is encouraged to contract with |
| 71 | nonprofit entities when feasible. |
| 72 | (5) The department may establish any committee or |
| 73 | workgroup for purposes of administering this section. |
| 74 | (6) The department may adopt rules pursuant to ss. |
| 75 | 120.536(1) and 120.54, Florida Statutes, to administer this |
| 76 | section, including, but not limited to, rules that define terms |
| 77 | for purposes of this section. |
| 78 | (7) The department may adopt emergency rules pursuant to |
| 79 | s. 120.54, Florida Statutes. The Legislature finds that such |
| 80 | emergency rulemaking authority is necessary for preservation of |
| 81 | the rights and welfare of the public in order to provide |
| 82 | additional funds for the benefit of this state. The Legislature |
| 83 | further finds that the activity authorized in this section |
| 84 | requires that the department periodically respond as quickly as |
| 85 | practicable to changes in the marketplace and the federal and |
| 86 | state regulatory environment. Therefore, in adopting such |
| 87 | emergency rules, the department need not make the findings |
| 88 | required by s. 120.54(4)(a), Florida Statutes. |
| 89 | Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |
| 90 |
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| 91 | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| 92 | T I T L E A M E N D M E N T |
| 93 | Remove the entire title and insert: |
| 94 | A bill to be entitled |
| 95 | An act relating to broadband Internet service; providing |
| 96 | legislative findings and intent; authorizing the |
| 97 | Department of Management Services to engage in certain |
| 98 | activities related to assessing the need for broadband |
| 99 | Internet service in the state, planning for such service, |
| 100 | and encouraging the statewide deployment of such service; |
| 101 | authorizing the department to apply for and accept certain |
| 102 | funds; authorizing the department to enter into contracts; |
| 103 | authorizing the department to establish committees or |
| 104 | workgroups; authorizing the department to adopt rules; |
| 105 | authorizing the department to adopt emergency rules; |
| 106 | providing legislative findings; exempting such emergency |
| 107 | rules from certain administrative procedures; providing an |
| 108 | effective date. |