Bill Text: NY S09103 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes the affordable housing broadband assistance grant program within the division of broadband access to support no-cost and/or discounted subscriptions for households receiving federal, state, or local housing assistance or residing in housing units designated for low-income and/or vulnerable populations.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-04-24 - REFERRED TO CORPORATIONS, AUTHORITIES AND COMMISSIONS [S09103 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S09103-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9103

                    IN SENATE

                                     April 24, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by Sen. MARTINEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Corporations,  Authorities
          and Commissions

        AN ACT to amend the New York state urban development corporation act, in
          relation to the affordable housing broadband assistance grant program

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Section 16-gg of section 1 of chapter 174 of  the  laws  of
     2  1968  constituting the New York state urban development corporation act,
     3  as added by section 2 of part MMM of chapter 58 of the laws of 2022,  is
     4  amended by adding a new subdivision 10-a to read as follows:
     5    10-a.  Affordable  housing broadband assistance grant program. (a) The
     6  division shall establish the  affordable  housing  broadband  assistance
     7  grant  program.  The  program  shall  support  no-cost and/or discounted
     8  broadband subscriptions for  households  receiving  federal,  state,  or
     9  local  housing  assistance  or  residing in housing units designated for
    10  low-income and/or vulnerable populations.
    11    (b) For the purposes of this program, eligible grant recipients  shall
    12  include  local  governments, municipal housing authorities as defined in
    13  section 3 of the public housing law, or for-profit or non-profit low-in-
    14  come housing property owners or operators.
    15    (c) The  division  shall  establish  criteria,  consistent  with  this
    16  section,  for  grant recipients to select and contract with an entity to
    17  provide broadband service pursuant to the grant.
    18    (d) The grants shall  support  the  costs  associated  with  providing
    19  broadband  services  to  residential end-users consistent with paragraph
    20  (a) of this subdivision at no cost or a discounted cost, and would cover
    21  expenditures of up to thirty dollars per month per housing  unit  for  a
    22  period of up to four years.
    23    (e)  The  grant  recipient  shall,  to  the  greatest extent possible,
    24  provide for broadband services that meet the following criteria:
    25    (i) Provide a baseline level  of  service  offering  minimum  download
    26  speeds of at least 100 megabits per second in each unit;
    27    (ii) Utilize a fixed, wireline broadband service;

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD15116-02-4
        S. 9103                             2

     1    (iii)  Allow  residential  end-users,  at their own cost, to obtain an
     2  increased level of service beyond the baseline level to be supported  by
     3  the grant; and
     4    (iv) Utilize internet service providers that:
     5    (A)  Operate high-speed networks capable of delivering download speeds
     6  of at least 100 megabits per second, and with consideration to providers
     7  who can offer faster broadband speeds;
     8    (B) Have experience in implementing and supporting  low-income  broad-
     9  band adoption programs; and
    10    (C)  Have  a  demonstrated  ability  to  meet  the grant's obligations
    11  including customer service capability and initiating service  for  resi-
    12  dential end-users as determined by the division.
    13    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.