SB2604: Mississippi Broadband Expansion Act; enact.

Legislative Summary

An Act To Create The Mississippi Broadband Expansion Act; To Define Terms Used In The Act; To Create The Mississippi Broadband Expansion Commission For The Purpose Of Reviewing Applications For Funding Broadband Infrastructure Projects And Making Recommendations To The Legislature Of The Projects To Be Funded Using Federal And State Funds; To Provide For The Members Of The Commission And To Prescribe Powers And Duties; To Provide That The Commission Shall Consider Certain Factors In Making Its Recommendations; To Require The Commission To Establish And Publish On Its Website Its Criteria For Competitively Scoring Applications; To Require An Applicant To Provide Certain Information At A Minimum On The Application; To Require The Commission To Make Preliminary Recommendations; To Require The Commission To Accept Comments And Objections Concerning Each Preliminary Recommendation; To Require The Commission To Make Its Final Recommendations To The Legislature After Considering All Comments And Objections And Investigating Them As Needed; To Authorize The Commission To Expend Funds From The Mississippi Broadband Expansion Fund In The Event Federal Rules Or Guidelines Require Funds To Be Expended Before The Legislature Convenes In January 2023, And To Require Notification Of Such Expenditures Prior To Their Distribution; To Amend Section 31-3-1, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Exempt From Licensing Requirements Under The State Board Of Contractors Certain Undertakings By A Subcontractor Or Sub-subcontractor Involving The Construction In The Buildout And Expansion Of Broadband Infrastructure; To Create New Section 21-27-79, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Provide That Certain Municipally-owned Electric Utilities Shall Have The Same Powers As Are Granted To An Electric Cooperative By The Mississippi Broadband Enabling Act; To Amend Sections 17-13-5 And 17-17-3, Mississippi Code Of 1972, To Conform To The Previous Section; And For Related Purposes.