Bill - House Bill 2579, Promoting and Funding Public Media and Digital Equity (Washington Legislature, 2026)

Summary

House Bill 2579 of the 69th Legislature, 2026 Regular Session, State of Washington, is by Representatives Stearns, Berry, Reed, Parshley, Gregerson, Santos, Mena, Goodman, Obras, Fosse, Peterson, Cortes, Pollet, and Nance and is referred to the Committee on Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans. The act relates to promoting and funding public media and digital equity. Section 7 creates the public media broadcaster and digital equity account in the state treasury, and the department may retain up to three percent of available funds for evaluation and administration. Of the remaining funds, 80 percent must fund grants under the public media broadcaster program and 20 percent under the digital equity program.

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Full text

     H-3007.1

                                HOUSE BILL 2579


     State of Washington        69th Legislature         2026 Regular Session

     By Representatives Stearns, Berry, Reed, Parshley, Gregerson, Santos,
     Mena, Goodman, Obras, Fosse, Peterson, Cortes, Pollet, and Nance

     Read first time 01/20/26.      Referred   to   Committee   on   Technology,
     Economic Development, & Veterans.




1        AN ACT Relating to promoting and funding public media and digital
2    equity; adding new sections to chapter 43.330 RCW; adding a new
3    chapter to Title 82 RCW; creating a new section; and prescribing
4    penalties.


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


 6       NEW SECTION.    Sec. 1.    The legislature recognizes that every
 7   Washingtonian should have access to trusted, noncommercial media that
 8   informs, educates, and connects our communities. The legislature
 9   further recognizes that media is a valuable commodity that
10   contributes to the vitality of the state and the cultural integrity
11   of the state's communities.
12       The legislature finds that noncommercial media provides a
13   significant public benefit by providing information related to public
14   safety,   emergency   broadcasting,  public   service  announcements,
15   community events, and educational partnerships.
16       The   legislature   also   finds  that   increased  funding   for
17   noncommercial media's annual operations and projects will likely
18   increase revenue for rural economies and local businesses and create
19   opportunities to increase community connection and build a diverse
20   workforce. The legislature recognizes that different regions of the
21   state have different needs, and residents should have the autonomy to
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 1   discern and craft strategies to meet their regional needs while
 2   coordinating with each other and statewide.
 3       The legislature also finds an urgent need to engage and educate
 4   communities   for  coordination   of   existing resources, capacity
 5   building, and establishing groundwork to support digital equity for
 6   more coordinated emergency services, efficiencies, partnerships,
 7   streamlined data collection, and group fund development that will
 8   contribute to regional economic development in a manner that is
 9   multilingual and culturally responsive.
10       Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to establish new
11   funding for public media and digital equity.

12       NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.    A new section is added to chapter 43.330
13   RCW to read as follows:
14       (1) The department shall establish a public media broadcaster
15   program to promote public media. The department shall award funds to
16   eligible entities on an annual basis, subject to the availability of
17   amounts appropriated for this specific purpose. The sole purpose of
18   the program is to ensure that every Washingtonian has access to
19   noncommercial media that informs, educates, and connects Washington
20   communities.
21       (2) The department must identify eligibility criteria for the
22   program.   In  establishing    the   criteria,  the  department   shall
23   prioritize:
24       (a) Community, public radio, or television organizations based in
25   the state;
26       (b)     Noncommercial,      nonreligious,    and     not-for-profit
27   organizations;
28       (c) Broadcasters that do not include a paywall for core program
29   services;
30       (d) Organizations that have provided service in the state for a
31   minimum of seven years prior to the award;
32       (e)   Organizations   that    adhere   to  professional   editorial
33   standards;
34       (f) Organizations whose service includes public safety, emergency
35   broadcasting, public service announcements, access to the arts,
36   community event promotion, and not-for-profit partnerships;
37       (g) Organizations that make music accessible to everyone, build
38   audiences for the arts by promoting events happening in the


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 1   community, and provide a platform for artists to reach their audience
 2   and build careers;
 3       (h) Organizations whose service includes community activation,
 4   free community events calendaring, educational impacts, partnership
 5   with public schools as defined in RCW 28A.150.010, and services for
 6   young adults after high school graduation, including but not limited
 7   to mentoring, internships, or fellowships;
 8       (i) Demonstrated economic impact; and
 9       (j) Operations including public transparency and reporting,
10   including but not limited to annual service and impact reports or
11   audits.
12       (3) The department must identify criteria to prioritize awards
13   under the program. The criteria must include:
14       (a) Relative scale and community impact;
15       (b) That 85 percent of the funding awards must be provided to
16   broadcasters that have a budget in excess of $1,000,000. An entity
17   may receive an award of up to eight percent of its annual operating
18   expenses or $1,500,000, whichever is greater;
19       (c) That 15 percent of the funding awards must be provided to
20   broadcasters who have a budget of less than $1,000,000 and serve
21   rural or frontier counties or urban counties with a hyper-local
22   audience. These awards may be used for annual operations or projects,
23   and must be a minimum of $5,000 and no more than eight percent of the
24   broadcaster's annual operating expenses; and
25       (d) That all awards must be spent within the state.
26       (4) Consistent with the department's authority under RCW
27   43.330.040, the department shall seek gifts, grants, and other
28   contributions from nonstate sources to carry out the purposes of this
29   section.

30       NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 43.330
31   RCW to read as follows:
32       (1) The department shall establish a digital equity program to
33   create digital access and adoption resource coordinators, and
34   multimedia producer and trainer roles. The program shall award funds
35   to eligible entities on an annual basis, subject to the availability
36   of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose. The purpose of the
37   program is to ensure that every Washingtonian has resources to safely
38   and effectively access the internet and noncommercial media that
39   informs, educates, and connects Washington communities.
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 1       (2) For purposes of funding digital equity, the department must
 2   identify eligibility criteria for the program. In establishing the
 3   criteria, the department shall prioritize:
 4       (a) Community anchor institutions such as a school, library,
 5   health clinic, health center, hospital or other medical provider,
 6   public safety entity, institution of higher education, public housing
 7   organization, or community support organization that facilitate
 8   greater use of broadband service by underserved populations;
 9       (b) Accountable communities of health, public access, education,
10   and government television stations;
11       (c) Workforce development councils, as defined in RCW 28C.18.010;
12       (d) Washington State University extension offices; and
13       (e) Operations including public transparency and reporting,
14   including but not limited to annual service and impact reports or
15   audits.
16       (3) The program must include digital access resource coordinators
17   who will work with coalitions, networks, and broadband action teams
18   that provide online skill building to create safe ways to engage and
19   educate communities about artificial intelligence and online safety.
20       (4) The coordinators must:
21       (a) Coordinate content for a central resource database;
22       (b) Coordinate and build referral networks;
23       (c) Produce virtual, in-person events, and community connection
24   time to build the groundwork for collaboration and database updating;
25       (d) Coordinate and share strategies with broadband action teams
26   that focus on network infrastructure and workforce development;
27       (e)   Provide  information   that   is  multilingual,   culturally
28   responsive, and responsive to the regional community needs; and
29       (f) Notify the community about grant and funding opportunities.
30       (5) The program must include multimedia producers and trainers
31   who will increase capacity and support existing community and
32   government media and stations with technical expertise and training.
33       (6) The producers and trainers must:
34       (a) Coordinate with community and government media and stations
35   on eligible content;
36       (b) Identify apprenticeship opportunities;
37       (c) Provide training; and
38       (d) Identify opportunities for creative economy and small
39   business intersections.


                                     p. 4                          HB 2579
1        (7) The program must provide space for trainings, computer labs,
2    studios, pods, booths, and mobile recording and broadcast equipment.
3        (8) Consistent with the department's authority under RCW
4    43.330.040, the department shall seek gifts, grants, and other
5    contributions from nonstate sources to carry out the purposes of this
6    section.

 7       NEW SECTION.    Sec. 4.   (1)(a) A public media broadcaster and
 8   digital equity tax in the amount of 20 cents per month is imposed on
 9   the use of all radio access lines by subscribers whose place of
10   primary use is located within the state and by consumers whose retail
11   transactions occur within the state.
12       (b) The tax imposed under this subsection (1) must be remitted to
13   the department by radio communications service companies, including
14   those companies that resell radio access lines, and sellers of
15   prepaid wireless telecommunications service, on a tax return provided
16   by the department.
17       (c) For the purposes of this subsection (1), the retail
18   transaction occurs at the location where the transaction is sourced
19   under RCW 82.32.520(3)(c).
20       (2) A public media broadcaster and digital equity tax in the
21   amount of 20 cents per month is imposed on all interconnected voice
22   over internet protocol service lines in the state. The amount of tax
23   must be uniform for each line and must be levied on no more than the
24   number of voice over internet protocol service lines on an account
25   that is capable of simultaneous unrestricted outward calling to the
26   public switched telephone network. The tax imposed under this
27   subsection (2) must be remitted to the department by interconnected
28   voice over internet protocol service companies on a tax return
29   provided by the department.
30       (3) A public media broadcaster and digital equity tax in the
31   amount of 20 cents per month is imposed on all switched access lines
32   in the state. The amount of tax must be uniform for each line and
33   must be levied on no more than the number of switched access lines on
34   an account that is capable of simultaneous unrestricted outward
35   calling to the public switched telephone network. The tax imposed
36   under this subsection (3) must be remitted to the department by local
37   exchange companies on a tax return provided by the department.



                                     p. 5                          HB 2579
1        (4) Tax proceeds collected pursuant to this section must be
2    deposited by the treasurer into the public media broadcaster and
3    digital equity account created in section 7 of this act.


 4       NEW SECTION.    Sec. 5.     (1) Except as provided otherwise in
 5   subsection (2) of this section:
 6       (a) The public media broadcaster and digital equity tax on radio
 7   access lines must be collected from the subscriber by the radio
 8   communications service company, including those companies that resell
 9   radio access lines, providing the radio access line to the
10   subscriber, and the seller of prepaid wireless telecommunications
11   services.
12       (b) The public media broadcaster and digital equity tax on
13   interconnected voice over internet protocol service lines must be
14   collected from the subscriber by the interconnected voice over
15   internet protocol service company providing the interconnected voice
16   over internet protocol service line to the subscriber.
17       (c) The public media broadcaster and digital equity tax on
18   switched access lines must be collected from the subscriber by the
19   local exchange company.
20       (d) The amount of the tax must be stated separately on the
21   billing statement that is sent to the subscriber.
22       (2)(a) The public media broadcaster and digital equity tax
23   imposed by this chapter must be collected from the consumer by the
24   seller of a prepaid wireless telecommunications service for each
25   retail transaction occurring in this state.
26       (b) The department must transfer all tax proceeds remitted by a
27   seller under this subsection (2) to the public media broadcaster and
28   digital equity account created in section 7 of this act.
29       (c) The taxes required by this subsection (2) to be collected by
30   the seller must be separately stated in any sales invoice or
31   instrument of sale provided to the consumer.


32       NEW SECTION.   Sec. 6.   (1)(a) The public media broadcaster and
33   digital equity tax imposed by this chapter must be paid by the
34   subscriber to the radio communications service company providing the
35   radio access line, the local exchange company, or the interconnected
36   voice   over  internet   protocol   service  company   providing the
37   interconnected voice over internet protocol service line.


                                     p. 6                          HB 2579
 1       (b) Each radio communications service company, local exchange
 2   company, and interconnected voice over internet protocol service
 3   company must collect from the subscriber the full amount of the taxes
 4   payable. The public media broadcaster and digital equity tax required
 5   by this chapter to be collected by a company or seller must be held
 6   in trust by the company or seller until paid to the department. Any
 7   radio communications service company, local exchange company, or
 8   interconnected voice over internet protocol service company that
 9   appropriates or converts the tax collected to its own use or to any
10   use other than the payment of the tax to the extent that the money
11   collected is not available for payment on the due date as prescribed
12   in this chapter is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
13       (2) If any radio communications service company, local exchange
14   company, or interconnected voice over internet protocol service
15   company fails to collect the public media broadcaster and digital
16   equity tax or, after collecting the tax, fails to pay it to the
17   department in the manner prescribed by this chapter, whether such
18   failure is the result of its own act or the result of acts or
19   conditions beyond its control, the company or seller is personally
20   liable to the state for the amount of the tax, unless the company or
21   seller has taken from the buyer in good faith documentation, in a
22   form and manner prescribed by the department, stating that the buyer
23   is not a subscriber or consumer or is otherwise not liable for the
24   public media broadcaster and digital equity tax.
25       (3) The amount of tax, until paid by the subscriber to the radio
26   communications    service    company,    local   exchange    company,
27   interconnected voice over internet protocol service company, or the
28   department, constitutes a debt from the subscriber to the company, or
29   from the consumer to the seller. Any company or seller that fails or
30   refuses to collect the tax as required with intent to violate the
31   provisions of this chapter or to gain some advantage or benefit,
32   either direct or indirect, and any subscriber or consumer who refuses
33   to pay any tax due under this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor. The
34   public media broadcaster and digital equity tax required by this
35   chapter to be collected by the radio communications service company,
36   local exchange company, or interconnected voice over internet
37   protocol service company must be stated separately on the billing
38   statement that is sent to the subscriber.
39       (4) If a subscriber has failed to pay to the radio communications
40   service company, local exchange company, or interconnected voice over
                                     p. 7                          HB 2579
1    internet protocol service company the public media broadcaster and
2    digital equity tax imposed by this chapter and the company or seller
3    has not paid the amount of the tax to the department, the department
4    may, in its discretion, proceed directly against the subscriber or
5    consumer for collection of the tax, in which case a penalty of 10
6    percent may be added to the amount of the tax for failure of the
7    subscriber or consumer to pay the tax to the company or seller,
8    regardless of when the tax is collected by the department.


 9       NEW SECTION.    Sec. 7.    (1) The public media broadcaster and
10   digital equity account is created in the state treasury. All receipts
11   from the tax imposed pursuant to this chapter must be deposited into
12   the account. Moneys may only be spent after appropriation.
13       (2) The department may retain up to three percent of available
14   funds for evaluation and administration of the public media
15   broadcaster and digital equity programs created under sections 2 and
16   3 of this act.
17       (3) The remaining funds must be distributed as follows:
18       (a) 80 percent must be used to fund grants under the public media
19   broadcaster program established under section 2 of this act; and
20       (b) 20 percent must be used to fund grants under the digital
21   equity program established under section 3 of this act.
22       (4) Moneys in the account may not be used to supplant general
23   fund appropriations for public media and digital equity.


24       NEW SECTION.   Sec. 8.   A city or county may not impose a tax,
25   measured on a per line basis, on radio access lines, interconnected
26   voice over internet protocol service lines, or switched access lines,
27   for the purpose of funding public media and digital equity.

28       NEW SECTION.   Sec. 9.   The definitions in RCW 82.14B.020 apply
29   throughout this chapter.


30       NEW SECTION.    Sec. 10.     Sections   4   through   9   of   this   act
31   constitute a new chapter in Title 82 RCW.

                                  --- END ---




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