Bill Text: TX SB1206 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to the creation of the governor's broadband council.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-04-16 - Left pending in committee [SB1206 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-SB1206-Introduced.html
2019S0271-1 02/25/19 | ||
By: Perry | S.B. No. 1206 |
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relating to the creation of the governor's broadband council. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subtitle F, Title 4, Government Code, is amended | ||
by adding Chapter 490H to read as follows: | ||
CHAPTER 490H. GOVERNOR'S BROADBAND COUNCIL | ||
Sec. 490H.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
(1) "Broadband" means a service that provides advanced | ||
telecommunications capability and Internet access. | ||
(2) "Council" means the governor's broadband council. | ||
Sec. 490H.002. ESTABLISHMENT AND COMPOSITION. (a) The | ||
governor's broadband council is established in the office of the | ||
governor. | ||
(b) The council is composed of the following 15 voting | ||
members: | ||
(1) two representatives of unaffiliated Internet | ||
service providers, appointed by the governor; | ||
(2) one representative of a nonprofit organization | ||
that advocates for elderly persons statewide, appointed by the | ||
governor; | ||
(3) two representatives of unaffiliated nonprofit | ||
organizations that have a demonstrated history of working with the | ||
legislature and the public to identify solutions for expanding | ||
broadband to rural and underserved areas of this state, appointed | ||
by the governor; | ||
(4) one representative of an agricultural advocacy | ||
organization in this state, appointed by the governor; | ||
(5) one representative of a hospital advocacy | ||
organization in this state, appointed by the governor; | ||
(6) one representative of a medical advocacy | ||
organization in this state, appointed by the governor; | ||
(7) one county official who serves in an elected | ||
office of a county with a population of less than 35,000, appointed | ||
by the governor; | ||
(8) one municipal official who serves in an elected | ||
office of a municipality with a population of less than 20,000 that | ||
is located in a county with a population of less than 60,000, | ||
appointed by the governor; | ||
(9) one representative of an institution of higher | ||
education who has published scholarly research on broadband, | ||
appointed by the governor; | ||
(10) two members of the house of representatives, | ||
appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and | ||
(11) two members of the senate, appointed by the | ||
lieutenant governor. | ||
(c) A member of the council appointed under Subsection (b) | ||
serves for a five-year term. | ||
(d) A vacancy on the council is filled in the same manner as | ||
the original appointment. | ||
Sec. 490H.003. PRESIDING OFFICER. The governor shall | ||
designate the presiding officer of the council from among the | ||
members of the council. | ||
Sec. 490H.004. MEETINGS. (a) The council shall convene at | ||
least once every quarter. | ||
(b) The council shall convene at the call of the presiding | ||
officer. | ||
Sec. 490H.005. ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT. The governor's | ||
office shall provide administrative support to the council. | ||
Sec. 490H.006. DUTIES. The council shall: | ||
(1) research the past and present development of | ||
broadband in areas that are currently underserved and unserved with | ||
broadband; | ||
(2) identify barriers to residential and commercial | ||
broadband access in this state and to broadband development in this | ||
state and study solutions to overcome the identified barriers; and | ||
(3) analyze how statewide access to broadband would | ||
benefit: | ||
(A) economic development; | ||
(B) the delivery of educational opportunities in | ||
higher education and public education; | ||
(C) state and local law enforcement; | ||
(D) state emergency preparedness; | ||
(E) the delivery of health care services, | ||
including telemedicine and telehealth; and | ||
(F) any other matter related to the subject of | ||
broadband that a majority of the council members deem appropriate | ||
to research. | ||
Sec. 490H.007. ANNUAL REPORT. Not later than November 1 of | ||
each year, the council shall prepare and deliver a report in | ||
electronic format of its findings and recommendations to the | ||
governor, the lieutenant governor, and each member of the | ||
legislature. | ||
Sec. 490H.008. EXPIRATION. This chapter expires September | ||
1, 2029. | ||
SECTION 2. A report required under Section 490H.007, | ||
Government Code, as added by this Act, is not required to be | ||
prepared or submitted for the first time before November 1, 2020. | ||
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives | ||
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as | ||
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this | ||
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this | ||
Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |