Revision: Jan. 17, 2013, midnight
HB 368 – AS INTRODUCED
2013 SESSION
06/04
HOUSE BILL 368
AN ACT relative to the telecommunications planning and development initiative.
SPONSORS: Rep. Rappaport, Coos 1
COMMITTEE: Science, Technology and Energy
This bill:
I. Extends the telecommunications planning and development initiative.
II. Changes certain provisions of the telecommunications planning and development advisory committee.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
13-0711
06/04
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Thirteen
AN ACT relative to the telecommunications planning and development initiative.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Repeal. 2000, 298:6, as amended by 2003, 7:2; 2007, 315:2, and 2010, 367:3, relative to telecommunications planning and development, is repealed.
2 Telecommunications Planning and Development Advisory Committee. RSA 12-A:46 is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
12-A:46 Telecommunications Planning and Development Advisory Committee.
I. There is hereby established a telecommunications planning and development advisory committee to advise and assist the director of economic development in performing the duties established in RSA 12-A:45. The committee shall meet at least quarterly. Nine members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.
II. The members of the committee shall be:
(a) The governor, or designee;
(b) The commissioner of resources and economic development, or designee;
(c) The commissioner of safety, or designee;
(d) The chairman of the public utilities commission, or designee;
(e) One member of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
(f) One member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate;
(g) The chief information officer, or designee;
(h) The following persons nominated by the commissioner of resources and economic development and appointed by the governor and council:
(1) Two members representing residential telecommunications customers;
(2) One member representing large business telecommunications customers;
(3) One member representing small business telecommunications customers;
(4) One member representing educational technology;
(5) One member representing municipal government;
(6) One member representing county government;
(7) One member representing a regional economic development organization or a regional planning commission; and
(8) One member representing healthcare technology.
(9) Up to 7 members representing several of the following sectors of the telecommunications industry: wireless, paging, incumbent local exchange carriers, competitive local exchange carriers, Internet service providers, cable, long distance providers, and broadcast television. A member representing one sector may also represent one or more other sectors, as deemed appropriate by the commissioner; and
(i) The director of broadband technology planning and development in the division of economic development.
III. In this section:
(a) “Broadband” means the transmission, between or among points specified by the user, of information of the user’s choosing, with or without change in the form or content of the information as sent and received, at rates of transmission equal or greater than that defined by the Federal Communications Commission as “broadband.”
(b) “Broadband infrastructure” means any and all equipment and facilities, including any and all changes, modifications, and expansions to existing facilities, as well as the customer premises equipment used to provide broadband, and any and all software integral to or related to the operations, support, facilitation, or interconnection of such equipment, including upgrades, and any and all installation, operations, and support, maintenance and other functions as may be required to support the delivery of broadband.
IV. The telecommunications planning and development advisory committee shall assist the director in identifying and maintaining an inventory of the state’s broadband availability and by:
(a) Disseminating information and data concerning communication services and broadband infrastructure within the state.
(b) Identifying funding sources for broadband infrastructure deployment or education.
(c) Continually assessing the availability of and need for broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas within the state.
(d) Continually assessing and making recommendations to improve services provided to citizens by state agencies via broadband and internet technologies as a mean of improving service and reducing costs.
(e) Promoting access to affordable and reliable broadband service to all state citizens and businesses.
(f) Identifying barriers to investment of private capital in broadband infrastructure.
(g) Identifying opportunities for coordination among providers, consumers, and state and local governmental entities, including coordination with the statewide emergency radio networks.
(h) Creating and facilitating public awareness and educational programs to encourage the use of broadband infrastructure.
V. The legislative members of the committee shall serve for the duration of their legislative term, and shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the committee.
VI. Other appointed members of the committee shall serve for 3 years and until a successor is appointed.
VII. The committee shall elect a chairperson from among the members.
VIII. The committee shall report its findings and recommendations to the director in the form of a status report on or before July 31 annually.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.