Florida Senate - 2020 SB 1776
By Senator Montford
3-01712-20 20201776__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to broadband Internet service;
3 repealing chapter 2012-131, Laws of Florida, relating
4 to broadband Internet service; amending s. 364.0135,
5 F.S.; requiring the Department of Management Services
6 to develop geographic information system maps in
7 collaboration with specified entities and consistent
8 with certain federal reporting standards by a
9 specified date; specifying required contents of the
10 maps; requiring the department to annually update such
11 maps and establish a mechanism to receive and verify
12 public input related to broadband Internet service;
13 authorizing the department to work collaboratively
14 with specified entities in developing the mechanism;
15 specifying actions the department must take relative
16 to proceedings of the Federal Communications
17 Commission related to broadband Internet service;
18 providing an effective date.
19
20 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
21
22 Section 1. Chapter 2012-131, Laws of Florida, is repealed.
23 Section 2. Present subsections (3), (4), and (5) of section
24 364.0135, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (4),
25 (5), and (6), respectively, a new subsection (3) is added to
26 that section, and paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of that
27 section is amended, to read:
28 364.0135 Promotion of broadband adoption.—
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) Monitor the adoption of broadband Internet service in
35 collaboration with communications service providers, including,
36 but not limited to, wireless and wireline Internet service
37 providers, to develop geographical information system maps at
38 the census tract level that will:
39 1. Identify geographic gaps in broadband services,
40 including areas unserved by any broadband provider and areas
41 served by a single broadband 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 data rate benchmarks for
45 broadband service used by the Federal Communications Commission
46 to reflect different speed tiers; and
47 3. Provide a baseline assessment of statewide broadband
48 deployment in terms of percentage of households with broadband
49 availability.
50 (3)(a) By June 30, 2021, the department shall develop
51 geographic information system maps, in collaboration with
52 broadband Internet service providers and consistent with the
53 Digital Opportunity Data Collection program reporting standards
54 established by the Federal Communications Commission, that:
55 1. Identify geographic areas and locations in the state
56 where broadband-capable networks exist and broadband Internet
57 service is available to end users.
58 2. Identify the download and upload data transmission
59 speeds available in each geographic area.
60 (b) The department must update the geographic information
61 system maps on an annual basis.
62 (c) The department must establish a mechanism to receive
63 and verify public input that identifies locations in which
64 broadband Internet service is not available, including locations
65 in which broadband Internet service is provided at data
66 transmission speeds below the standard established by the
67 Federal Communications Commission for broadband Internet
68 service. Upon verification, the department shall adjust its
69 geographic information system maps to reflect information
70 received from the public. In developing and implementing this
71 mechanism, the department may work in collaboration with, and
72 receive staffing support and other resources from, Enterprise
73 Florida, Inc., state agencies, local governments, private
74 businesses, and community organizations.
75 (d) The department shall monitor, participate in, and
76 provide input in proceedings of the Federal Communications
77 Commission related to the geographic availability and deployment
78 of broadband Internet service in the state to ensure that the
79 information is accurately presented and that rural, unserved,
80 and underserved areas of the state are best positioned to
81 benefit from broadband deployment programs administered by the
82 Federal Communications Commission.
83 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2020.