What's happening
This bill requires the New York State Broadband Office to annually report and publicly share detailed spending and investment data on broadband initiatives.
Why it matters
Shines a light on how $670 million in public funds have been used. The required "look back" report will break down, in detail, how funds from both the state and federal sources were spent, revealing whether broadband money reached intended communities and if spending aligned with policy goals.
Highlights the role of private investment in public broadband projects. By mandating reporting on both public and private financing, the law will show how much private companies are partnering in expanding broadband and where gaps or imbalances may exist.
Enables local communities and policymakers to track progress and advocate for future needs. Reporting at the zip+4 level and requiring disclosure of planned future investments lets stakeholders see exactly which neighborhoods are being served or overlooked, supporting more precise advocacy and planning.
Improves accountability and transparency for a critical infrastructure program. Annual, public reports ensure ongoing scrutiny and pressure to deliver results, making it harder for funds to be misused or for progress to stall unnoticed.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Broadband Spending Reports
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
3 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to finance
- Committed to rules
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.419
- Referred to finance
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
111
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
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, 2022.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02853-01-9
S. 111 2
§ 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;
(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 comprehensive 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 FY 2015-2016 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
S. 8286 of 2018 Passed Senate
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.