Senate Bill 5175 — State of Washington, 67th Legislature, 2021 Regular Session (Senators Nguyen, Wellman)

Summary

Senate Bill 5175 (S-0036.1), State of Washington, 67th Legislature, 2021 Regular Session, by Senators Nguyen, Wellman, Das, Hasegawa, Saldaña, and Wilson, C. It was read first time 01/12/21 and referred to the Committee on Business, Financial Services & Trade. The bill is an act relating to the authority of the community economic revitalization board with respect to loans and grants to local governments and federally recognized Indian tribes for broadband, and it adds a new section to chapter 43.160 RCW. It authorizes the board, subject to appropriated amounts, to make broadband loans and grants, and says no more than fifty percent of all financial assistance approved by the board in any biennium may consist of grants.

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Full text

     S-0036.1

                                SENATE BILL 5175


     State of Washington        67th Legislature         2021 Regular Session

     By Senators Nguyen, Wellman, Das, Hasegawa, Saldaña, and Wilson, C.

     Read first time 01/12/21.        Referred   to   Committee   on   Business,
     Financial Services & Trade.




 1       AN ACT Relating to the authority of the community economic
 2   revitalization board with respect to loans and grants to local
 3   governments and federally recognized Indian tribes for broadband;
 4   adding a new section to chapter 43.160 RCW; and creating a new
 5   section.


 6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:


 7       NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature recognizes that high-speed
 8   internet connectivity through broadband is essential to support:
 9   Educational opportunity; innovations in the provision of education,
10   public safety, and health care; and business growth. The legislature
11   also finds that open access broadband networks create a public
12   platform that bolsters the private sector's ability to provide
13   broadband internet access to communities for which access was
14   previously   cost-prohibitive.    Therefore,   to   efficiently    and
15   sustainably expand access to broadband throughout Washington, this
16   act establishes a grant and loan program through the community
17   economic revitalization board for local governments and federally
18   recognized Indian tribes to develop open access broadband networks.


19       NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.      A new section is added to chapter 43.160
20   RCW to read as follows:
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 1       (1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this
 2   specific purpose, the board is authorized to make broadband loans and
 3   grants to local governments and to federally recognized Indian tribes
 4   for the purposes of financing the cost to build infrastructure to
 5   provide high-speed, open access broadband service for the purpose of
 6   economic development or community development. However, no more than
 7   fifty percent of all financial assistance approved by the board in
 8   any biennium may consist of grants to local governments and federally
 9   recognized Indian tribes.
10       (2) An application for funding must be made in the form and
11   manner as the board may prescribe. In making grants or loans, the
12   board must conform to the following requirements:
13       (a) The board may not provide financial assistance for a project
14   where the primary purpose is to facilitate or promote gambling;
15       (b) The board may provide financial assistance for projects that
16   encourage, foster, develop, and improve broadband within the state in
17   order to:
18       (i) Drive job creation, promote innovation, and expand markets
19   for local businesses; or
20       (ii) Serve the ongoing and growing needs of local education
21   systems, health care systems, public safety systems, industries,
22   businesses, governmental operations, and citizens;
23       (c) An application must be approved by:
24       (i) The local government and supported by the local associate
25   development organization or local workforce development council; or
26       (ii) The governing body of the federally recognized Indian tribe;
27       (d) The board may allow de minimis general system improvements to
28   be funded if they are critically linked to the viability of the
29   project; and
30       (e) When evaluating and prioritizing projects, the board must
31   give consideration, at a minimum, to the following factors:
32       (i) The project's value to the community, including evidence of
33   support from affected local businesses and government;
34       (ii)   The   project's  feasibility,    using  standard   economic
35   principles;
36       (iii) The commitment of local matching resources and local
37   participation;
38       (iv) The project's inclusion in a capital facilities plan,
39   comprehensive plan, or local economic development plan consistent
40   with applicable state planning requirements; and
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 1       (v) The project's readiness to proceed.
 2       (3) A responsible official of the local government or federally
 3   recognized Indian tribe must be present during board deliberations
 4   and provide information that the board requests.
 5       (4) Before any financial assistance application is approved, the
 6   local government or the federally recognized Indian tribe seeking the
 7   assistance must demonstrate to the board that no other timely source
 8   of funding is available to it at costs reasonably similar to
 9   financing available from the board.
10       (5) For the purposes of this section, "broadband" means networks
11   of deployed telecommunications equipment and technologies necessary
12   to   provide   high-speed   internet   access   and  other   advanced
13   telecommunications services.

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