Assigned to TAT                                                                                                                     FOR COMMITTEE

 

 

 

 


ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Fifty-Fifth Legislature, Second Regular Session

 

FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2678

 

state broadband office

Purpose

Establishes the State Broadband Office (Office) within the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA).

Background

The Board of Directors of the ACA must employ a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and prescribe the terms and conditions of the CEO's employment.  The CEO serves at the pleasure of the Board of Directors under the terms of a performance-based contract and is responsible for managing, administering and supervising the activities of the ACA. The CEO must negotiate, make, execute, acknowledge and perform contracts and other agreements in the interest of the ACA (A.R.S. § 41-1503).

For the purposes of telecommunication facility installation, broadband service means providing access to the internet, computer processing, information storage or protocol conversion in both the upstream or downstream direction, as established by the Federal Communications Commission (A.R.S. § 28-7381).

There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.

Provisions

1.   Establishes the Office within the ACA, which consists of the State Broadband Director who serves at the pleasure of the CEO.

2.   Allows the CEO to hire staff for the Office to:

a)   coordinate the implementation of local, state and federal broadband programs;

b)   coordinate and execute federal broadband grant applications with public and private stakeholders;

c)   provide guidance and support to stakeholders in navigating local, state and federal regulatory and permitting processes for broadband infrastructure projects;

d)   provide guidance and support to local and state public and private partners on federal, state and local broadband policies and practices;

e)   solicit feedback from stakeholders to develop long-term local, state and federal broadband policy priorities that may influence local, state and federal broadband policies and programs; and

f) work with local partners, state and federal agencies and telecommunication providers to develop plans to improve internet connectivity and resiliency in Arizona.

3.   Requires the Office to publish and maintain a State Broadband Plan that further elaborates on the strategies and tactics to achieve broadband goals.

4.   Allows the Office to develop rules and guidelines to implement the establishment of the Office.

5.   Becomes effective on the general effective date.

House Action

COM               2/15/22      DP     8-0-2-0

3rd Read          2/23/22                 46-13-1

Prepared by Senate Research

March 3, 2022

RA/JM/sr