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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, First Regular Session
appropriations; broadband grants
Purpose
Appropriates $5,000,000 from the state General Fund (state GF) in FY 2022 to the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) to provide broadband grants to cities and towns with a population of 150,000 persons or less.
Background
Broadband service is defined as providing access and transport to the internet, computer processing, information storage or protocol conversion at a rate of at least one megabit per second in either the upstream or downstream direction, as established by the Federal Communications Commission (A.R.S. § 28-7381).
The ACA promotes economic, community and workforce development. The ACA provides private sector leadership in growing and diversifying Arizona's economy through the support of statewide business expansion, retention, attraction, workforce development and job training (A.R.S. § 41-1502). The ACA received a $3,000,000 appropriation from the state GF in FY 2020 to provide rural broadband grants (Laws 2019, Ch. 263).
H.B. 2156 appropriates $5,000,000 from the state GF in FY 2022 to the ACA.
Provisions
1. Appropriates $5,000,000 from the state GF in FY 2022 to the ACA to provide broadband grants to cities and towns with a population of 150,000 persons or less.
2. Requires the ACA, when prioritizing broadband grant awards, to consider:
a) the award's potential to stimulate economic development and growth; and
b) the current level of broadband or high-speed internet service access in the city or town and the degree to which the award would improve access to broadband or high-speed internet in the area.
3. Exempts the appropriation from lapsing.
4. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
COM 2/9/21 DP 8-2-0-0
APPROP 2/10/21 DP 11-1-0-1
3rd Read 2/24/21 50-8-2
Prepared by Senate Research
March 19, 2021
LMM/DH/kja