Bill Text: VA SB536 | 2021 | Regular Session | Prefiled

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Bill Title: Incentives for telecommunications companies; provision of wireless broadband services.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-12-04 - Left in Finance and Appropriations [SB536 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2021-SB536-Prefiled.html

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20101837D
SENATE BILL NO. 536 Offered January 8, 2020 Prefiled January 7, 2020 A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 3.2-3108.1, relating to incentives for telecommunications companies; provision of wireless broadband services. ---------- Patron-- Edwards ---------- Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 3.2-3108.1 as follows:

§3.2-3108.1. Grants for purchase of wireless and broadband service equipment.

A. Beginning July 1, 2021, the Commission shall make available at least $50 million in each fiscal year from the Fund for grants made for the purchase and installation of wireless and broadband equipment used to provide communications services in rural service areas in the Commonwealth. For purposes of awarding grants, "rural service areas" means any locality with a mean broadband download speed of less than 10 megabits per second, and a mean broadband upload speed of less than one megabit per second.

B. The Commission shall develop guidelines setting forth the general requirements of qualifying for a grant under this section, including a wireless and broadband service equipment grant application form. Such guidelines shall be exempt from the provisions of the Administrative Process Act (§2.2-4000 et seq.).