SF 2006

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 03/27/2015 09:16am

A bill for an act
relating to telecommunications; appropriating money for a broadband
infrastructure economic development demonstration project.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
DEMONSTRATION PROJECT; APPROPRIATION.

(a) $2,400,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2016 from the border-to-border
broadband infrastructure fund under Minnesota Statutes, section 116J.396, to the
commissioner of employment and economic development to award a grant to a city to
pay for broadband infrastructure and other eligible expenses, as identified in Minnesota
Statutes, section 116J.395, subdivision 2, for a wire-line broadband infrastructure
demonstration project that is part of a public-private partnership.

(b) In order to be awarded the grant under paragraph (a), a city must demonstrate:

(1) funding from nonstate sources that matches the amount appropriated in
paragraph (a);

(2) broadband service outages of 12 hours or more in the area within its jurisdiction;

(3) a decline in the number of businesses in the area within its jurisdiction, as a result
of the lack of adequate broadband service; and

(4) an agreement that the city will own the broadband infrastructure as part of the
public-private partnership.

(c) The commissioner of employment and economic development must award the
grant under this section before September 1, 2015.

EFFECTIVE DATE.

This section is effective the day following final enactment.