HB1336 | Climate at the Legislature

HB1336 – Grants unrestricted authority to public entities to provide retail telecommunications services (aka the Public Broadband Act).
Prime Sponsor – Representative Hansen (D; 23rd District; Kitsap County) (Co-sponsor Ybarra-R)
Current status –
In the House – Passed
Had a hearing in the House Committee on Community & Economic Development January 26th. Substitute passed out of committee February 3rd. Referred to Rules, amended on the floor and passed by the House February 23rd. House concurred in the Senate’s changes April 23rd.
In the Senate – Passed
Referred to the Committee on Environment, Energy and Technology. Had a hearing March 11th, amended and passed out of committee March 25th. Referred to Rules, and passed by the Senate April 11th. Returned to the House for consideration of concurrence.
Next step would be – To the Governor.
Legislative tracking page for the bill.

Comments –
SB5383 is now proposing a more limited approach to the problem.

Summary –

Senate Committee Amendment –
This would allow jurisdictions to receive financial assistance for expanding broadband even if they had not adopted a comprehensive plan and taken various other planning steps.

Substitute –
There’s a summary of the changes by committee counsel at the beginning of the substitute; the main change is removing the authority of first class cities and code cities to provide internet service.

Original bill –
PUDs are currently authorized to provide wholesale telecommunications facilities within their districts, and within other PUD districts by contract. The bill, to be known as the Public Broadband Act, expands that to include the authority to provide retail service, and to provide service by contract to tribes and to any political subdivision of the state authorized to provide retail telecommunications services in the state.

It then authorizes cities, towns, code cities, and counties to provide those. It expands the current authority of ports to provide wholesale telecommunications services in or outside their districts to include retail services.