Federal Broadband Bills

 S. 1492 — the Broadband Data Improvement Act now pending in the Senate — and the companion H.R. 3919 that has already passed the House would make funds available to states to collect broadband data and to create local public-private partnerships to create community plans to accelerate broadband availability and adoption.

Illinois Broadband Bills:

2008:

SB2244 - Codifies the Broadband Deployment Council

SB2410 - Vince Demuzio Rural Broadband Initiative Act

HB5000 - Children's Low-Cost Laptop Act

HB4766 - Counties may lease space on a telecommunications tower to a public or private entity.

HB5956 - Appropriates $500,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the State Board of Education for grants to school districts for the purpose of upgrading school building infrastructure in order for classrooms to be able to utilize computer equipment. Effective July 1, 2008.

2007 and earlier:

SB766 (Passed)

High Speed Internet Services and Information Technology Act

SB 6 (Passed)

Provides that under the Medicaid program, the Department of Healthcare and Family Services shall reimburse psychiatrists for mental health services they provide, as authorized by Illinois law, to recipients via telepsychiatry.

SB 678 (Amended)

High Speed Internet Services and Information Technology Law

HB4120 (Died in rules)

Provides that if a municipality contracts with a provider of wireless Internet services (ISP) for the purpose of providing municipal and public access to a wireless broadband Internet network, then a public utility that owns or co-owns above-ground utility poles, including, but not limited to, street light and traffic poles and pole arms located in the public rights-of-way within the municipality, shall be required to enter into pole access agreements with the ISP to allow access to all above-ground poles of the public utility located in the public right-of-way. Contains provisions concerning the terms and conditions of the pole access agreements. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall, within 60 days after the effective date of the amendatory Act, adopt rules concerning pole access rates, terms, and conditions and any necessary additional procedures for hearing and resolving contested cases concerning the rates, terms, and conditions.

HB3605 (Died in rules)

Provides that service offered by wireless service providers and voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) providers shall be deemed reasonably available competitive alternatives for local exchange and interexchange service offered by an incumbent local exchange carrier. Provides that an incumbent local exchange carrier may elect to classify local exchange service in one or more of its exchanges as competitive in accordance with certain standards and procedures. Provides that a service shall be classified as competitive if for any identifiable class or group of customers in that exchange, local exchange service, or its functional competitive alternative is offered by at least 3 providers that are not affiliated with the incumbent local exchange carrier. Provides that if a local exchange service provided by an incumbent local exchange carrier is properly classified as competitive in at least one exchange within a particular market service area under certain provisions, that incumbent local exchange carrier may classify its local exchange services in each of the other exchanges within the same market service area as competitive without any further showing or review by the Commission following specified procedures. In a Section concerning optional services packages, provides that certain service packages shall be classified as competitive services if they meet certain criteria.

SB0309 (Died in rules)

Rural Technology Development Zone Act. Allows the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to designate 3 rural areas in the State as rural technology development zones. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall submit a report to the General Assembly outlining the progress in improving wireless telecommunications and Internet access within rural technology development zones.

SB0746 (Passed)

Extends the technology immersion pilot project established by the State Board of Education for another 3 years.