Bill > HB677

This bill modifies the existing Missouri law regarding broadband development grants by adding a requirement that forty percent of all grants awarded must be distributed to unserved and underserved projects specifically in urban areas. The bill outlines a comprehensive priority system for the Department of Economic Development when evaluating and ranking grant applications, with first priority given to applications serving unserved areas, second priority to those demonstrating matching fund capabilities for unserved areas, and third priority to applications serving underserved areas. The bill establishes a detailed scoring system that considers multiple factors when ranking applications, including the applicant's technical and financial capabilities, project cost-efficiency, broadband speeds, infrastructure scalability, private funding commitment, service to community institutions, support for economically distressed areas, and community engagement. The key addition is the mandate that a substantial portion (40%) of grants must be specifically directed toward urban projects that are either unserved or underserved by broadband internet service, ensuring that urban areas receive a proportional share of infrastructure development funding.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB677&year=2025&code=R