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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | June 4, 2021 09:34 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator James R. Brewster and Sen. John I. Kane |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Broadband Infrastructure |
| In the near future, we plan on introducing legislation to allocated $187.5 million of the Commonwealth’s allocation from the Capital Projects Fund authorized through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) for broadband infrastructure and equipment. Coupled with a local match component for a portion of the funds, the total investment in broadband infrastructure and equipment we are proposing is $212.5 million. Communities without sufficient access to broadband exist in all districts across the Commonwealth. It is our jobs to ensure we are expanding and improving broadband access to underserved and unserved communities. Broadband infrastructure is typically thought of as bringing lines to rural areas. While expanding access to broadband in rural communities is vitally important, it is also important to address the lack of access in urban communities. Too often there is a lack of quality broadband access in urban communities brought on by aging broadband infrastructure and limited options for internet service providers. Our proposal looks to address the needs of both rural and urban communities. So important is expanding and improving access that Congress included “[making] necessary investment in . . . broadband infrastructure” as one of the four eligible uses of State Fiscal Relief Funds in the ARP statute. Utilizing the ARP funds for broadband infrastructure, equipment and connectivity are vital and necessary. U.S. Treasury’s Statement on Purpose and Process for the Capital Projects Fund states the focus on the fund is “on the continuing need for connectivity in response to the COVID-19 pandemic complements the broader range of uses, including broadband infrastructure . . .” Finally, investing these funds in broadband infrastructure, equipment and connectivity is estimated to create approximately 2,146 jobs. Under our plan, $87.5 million would be made available to the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) for grants to school entities for broadband related infrastructure, equipment and connectivity. The remaining $100 million would also be run through the CFA for grants to political subdivisions for broadband related infrastructure, equipment and connectivity. Eligible political subdivisions under the $100 million program would be required to commit local funds to the project with the Commonwealth matching those funds at a rate of 4-to-1. Local governments will receive over $6.1 billion for similar projects through the ARP’s Local Fiscal Relief Fund. With the local match, the total investment in broadband infrastructure, equipment and connectivity would be $212.5 million. We hope you will join us in sponsoring this legislation. |