What's happening
This bill requires the New York State Broadband Office to publish detailed reports on broadband funding and expenditures, both retroactively and annually.
Why it matters
Increases transparency for broadband spending. By requiring detailed, public reports on both past and future broadband expenditures, the bill makes it easier for citizens and lawmakers to track exactly how hundreds of millions in state and federal funds are being used to expand internet access.
Reveals geographic distribution of investments. The mandated inclusion of location data down to the zip+4 code helps communities see if and how they are benefitting from broadband investments, potentially highlighting gaps in service or regional inequities.
Enables greater oversight and accountability. Regular reporting to top legislative leaders and relevant committees gives policymakers the information needed to oversee the broadband office’s activities, evaluate effectiveness, and ensure money is being spent as intended.
May influence future broadband policy and funding decisions. By documenting private as well as public investments and planned future work, these reports could inform strategic decisions about where to direct additional resources or adjust broadband initiatives statewide.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Broadband Spending Reports
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 62
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to governmental operations
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 60–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.2116
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Referred to finance
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8286
IN SENATE
April 26, 2018
Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
AN ACT to require financial reports from the New York state broadband program office
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The New York state broadband office shall produce a written "look back" report on all expenditures between April 13, 2015 and the effective date of this act. The report shall state in clear detail how the broadband office has used the $500,000,000 allocated for the New NY Broadband Initiative in the FY2015-2016 Capital Projects Budget, in addition to the $170,000,000 obtained from the Federal Communication Commission's Connect America Fund.
The report shall include, but not be limited to:
(a) the total amount of public funds committed and expended by this program;
(b) the total amount of private funds committed and expended by this program;
(c) the location of each area receiving investments under this program, including zip+4 codes;
(d) planned future investments by both public and private parties; and
(e) other information as the broadband office deems appropriate.
The report required under this section shall be published no later than 180 days after the effective date of this act.
§ 2. On an annual basis, the broadband office shall produce a written report on all expenditures of the previous twelve months. This report shall contain the same criteria as the look back report. The first annual report shall be published no later than one year after the publishing of the initial look back report required by section one of this act, and shall continue through January 1, 2021.
§ 3. The look back report and annual reports shall be posted conspicuously on the broadband office's website. Additionally, a copy of the report shall be sent to the:
(a) Temporary President of the Senate;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15507-01-8
S. 8286 2
(b) Speaker of the Assembly;
(c) Chair of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee; and
(d) Chair of the Assembly Energy Committee.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to require financial reports from the New York state broadband program office
Purpose of bill
To ensure transparency and accountability in the New York broadband program by obtaining a comprehensivse report on how the monies allocated by the legislature and the FCC were
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 requires the New York state broadband office to produce a report on how it has spent monies between the date the broadband program was created and the effective date. Section 1 establishes mandatory components of the report.
Section 2 requires the New York state broadband office to produce a similar report annually through 2021.
Section 3 requires that the report he sent to certain persons. Section 4 sets the effective date.
Justification
As part of the. FY2015-2016 Capital Projects budget, $500 million was allocated for the creation of the "New NY Broadband Initiative." Legis- lators voted for this protocol with the understanding that the money would bring high-speed broadband internet to all New Yorkers, as declared by Governor Cuomo.
On top of the money secured by the legislature, New -York State also obtained $170 million for this program from the FCC's Connect America Fund.
However, the program is not currently meeting its goals. Many New York- ers are now being told they will only receive slow, unreliable satellite internet.
Those who will actually receive the high-speed broadband they were prom- ised won't get it until 2020.
The state and federal governments have invested a. considerable amount of money into this program, but New Yorkers are not getting the results they were promised.
In the interest of transparency and accountability, the broadband program office needs to publicly show how they've spent the taxpayers dollars.
Prior legislative history
New bill
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
To be determined
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.