The Florida legislative session was busy for lawmakers, who oversaw the passage of 3,095 bills and a $101.5 billion budget. One of the most promising developments included a new law designed to expand broadband access in the Sunshine State.
Signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on May 7, the Broadband Deployment Act, or HB 1239, takes important strides toward addressing barriers that hinder the expansion of high-speed internet service.
In many rural communities, wooden utility poles are the backbone of the telecommunications infrastructure. Reaching a single home may require attachments to 10 or more poles, so any unnecessary delays or expenses associated with that process can have a profound impact on local efforts to expand broadband service.
Contentious measures captured most of the attention and media coverage in the recently concluded session of the Florida Legislature.
Polk County’s legislative delegation helped deliver passage of the most controversial bills, which were among those sought by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican leaders. The county’s three senators and five representatives, all Republicans, supported an “anti-riot” bill, restrictions on voting procedures and a bill blocking transgender girls and women from playing on female sports teams.
Out of the spotlight, though, Polk’s lawmakers sponsored plenty of bills that passed through the Legislature and now need only DeSantis’ signature to become law.
The second challenge is affordability: Helping households pay for access.
The committee eventually unanimously approved Ausley s proposal and a second measure to expand high-speed networks to Florida s rural areas and other underserved communities.
Both count on tapping into some of the more than $4 billion Congress put in the COVID-19 Relief Act for states.
The various grant programs include one to provide a monthly stipend for low-income households to pay for equipment and services.
The other bill, by Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, offered a slim-downed version of the Ausley plan. Importantly, it was amended to include $1.4 million to fund the research and planning that s in both bills.