SB224: (New Title) relative to the telecommunications planning and development advisory committee.

CHAPTER 315

SB 224-FN-A – FINAL VERSION

03/22/07 0704s

31May2007… 1579h

2007 SESSION

07-1189

06/01

SENATE BILL 224-FN-A

AN ACT relative to the telecommunications planning and development advisory committee.

SPONSORS: Sen. Reynolds, Dist 2; Sen. Gallus, Dist 1; Sen. Burling, Dist 5; Sen. Janeway, Dist 7; Sen. Hassan, Dist 23

COMMITTEE: Energy, Environment and Economic Development

AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill:

I. Extends the duration of the telecommunications planning and development advisory committee.

II. Broadens the scope of the committee to include broadband infrastructure.

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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

03/22/07 0704s

31May2007… 1579h

07-1189

06/01

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seven

AN ACT relative to the telecommunications planning and development advisory committee.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

315:1 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 RSA 12-A:46 is repealed and reenacted to read as follows: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.

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 administrative services, 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; and

(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 educators providing distance learning;

(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) 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.

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 as 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 by:

(a) Collecting, aggregating, coordinating, and disseminating information and data concerning communications services and broadband infrastructure within the state.

(b) Tracking deployment of broadband infrastructure.

(c) Continually assessing the availability of and need for broadband infrastructure in unserved or underserved areas within the state.

(d) Identifying and securing federal and other funding sources for broadband infrastructure or wireless deployment or education.

(e) Identifying opportunities for coordination among providers, consumers, and state and local governmental entities, including coordination with the statewide emergency radio networks.

(f) Creating and facilitating public awareness and educational programs to encourage the use of broadband services.

(g) Identifying and assessing opportunities to remove barriers to broadband infrastructure deployment and adoption.

V. The telecommunications planning and development advisory committee shall assist the director in preparing an inventory of the state’s broadband infrastructure. This inventory shall include recommendations to:

(a) Promote access to affordable and reliable broadband service to all state citizens and businesses.

(b) Identify and secure federal and other funding sources for broadband infrastructure deployment or education.

(c) Identify opportunities for coordination among providers, consumers, and state and local governmental entities, including coordination with the statewide emergency radio networks.

(d) Create and facilitate public awareness and educational programs to encourage the use of broadband infrastructure.

VI. 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.

VII. Other appointed members of the committee shall serve for 3 years and until a successor is appointed.

VIII. The committee shall elect a chairperson from among the members.

IX. The committee shall report its findings and recommendations to the director in the form of an interim report on or before December 1, 2007 and a final report on or before June 1, 2008.

315:2 Telecommunications Planning and Development Initiative and Advisory Committee; Prospective Repeal Date Amended. Amend 2000, 298:7, I as amended by 2003, 7:2 to read as follows:

I. Section 6 of this act shall take effect [July 1, 2008] July 1, 2010.

315:3 Effective Date.

I. Section 2 of this act shall take effect upon its passage.

II. The remainder of this act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

Approved: July 13, 2007

Effective: I. Section 2 shall take effect July 13, 2007.

II. Remainder shall take effect September 11, 2007.