Bill > S1560

This bill amends existing Florida law to expand the duties and responsibilities of the Florida Office of Broadband within the Department of Economic Opportunity. The key provisions of the bill include: 1. Requiring the Office to develop geographic information system (GIS) maps of broadband internet service availability across the state by June 30, 2022, and to update these maps annually. The maps must identify areas that are unserved (lacking 25/3 Mbps service) or underserved (lacking 100/10 Mbps service). 2. Establishing the Broadband Deployment Task Force within the Office to assist rural communities in understanding their current broadband availability, identifying unserved/underserved areas, building partnerships with providers, and applying for federal grants. 3. Creating the Broadband Opportunity Program within the Office to award grants for the installation or deployment of broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas of the state. The bill outlines the application process, eligibility criteria, and prioritization factors for awarding these grants. 4. Requiring the Office to establish a process to identify eligible households to receive federal Emergency Broadband Benefit Program funds, which provide discounts on internet service for low-income families. The overall goal of the bill is to improve the availability and adoption of high-speed broadband internet service across Florida, particularly in rural, unserved, and underserved areas of the state.