Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes COVID-19 broadband grant programs.

Highlights:

• Defines "Broadband services" as any service that consists of or includes the provision of or connectivity to a high-speed, high-capacity transmission medium that can carry signals from or to multiple sources at a rate not less than 100 megabits per second in the downstream direction and not less than 100 megabits per second in the upstream direction, and that either (Sec. 3-4.d):

• Is used to provide access to the internet; or

• Provides computer processing, information storage, information content, or protocol conversion, including any service applications or information service provided over such high-speed access service.

• Defines "Electric cooperative" as a corporation formed or operating under Section 77-5-201 et seq. (Sec. 3-4.d).

• Authorizes the Legislature to create, through the State Treasury, a special fund to be designated as the "Mississippi Electric Cooperatives Broadband COVID-19 Grant Program Fund," which shall consist of funds made available by the Legislature in any manner and funds from any other source designated for deposit into such fund (Sec. 3-2).

• Authorizes the Mississippi Public Utilities Staff, to create the "Covid-19 Broadband Grant Program" to expand broadband access in unserved and underserved areas of the State of Mississippi (Sec. 3-3).

• Prohibits unexpended amounts remaining in either of the Grant Funds at the end of a fiscal year from lapsing into the State General Fund, and any investment earnings or interest earned on amounts in the Grant Funds will be deposited to the credit of the Grant Funds, respectively (Sec. 3-5).

• Specifies any project applied for by an electric cooperative must be for the electric cooperative immediately installing broadband fiber on its electric delivery system and thereby facilitating the provision of broadband services by its broadband affiliate or an unaffiliated broadband provider (Sec. 4-1).

• Appropriates funds according to rankings, using the following criteria (Sec. 5-5):

• Maximum speeds, including both downstream and upstream;

• Total miles of fiber to be deployed based on the entire application; and

• Total value of the project.

Full Bill Text