Bill > A09419

This bill establishes the "Broadband Deployment Assistance Act", which aims to accelerate broadband infrastructure deployment by creating a streamlined permitting process for municipalities. The legislation requires local governments to process up to 30 substantially similar broadband permit applications simultaneously and on an expedited basis, with a presumptively reasonable time frame of 60 days for attachments to existing structures and 90 days for new structures. Key provisions include requiring municipalities to notify applicants within 10 days of any incomplete application, specifying exactly what information is missing, and automatically approving all permits in a batch if not processed within the presumptive time limit. The bill defines several technical terms like "batch broadband permit processing" and "facility" and provides that permits will be valid for one year. If a municipality lacks resources to process permits quickly, they must work in good faith with the applicant, potentially including accepting supplemental resources from the applicant. The legislation explicitly excludes cities with populations over one million and is designed to help bridge the digital divide by making broadband infrastructure deployment faster and more efficient, particularly for communities that need improved internet access for work, education, telehealth, and emergency response.

Government Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A9419