SB5110 – B&O tax credit for 50% of the capital costs of extending internet service to unserved areas.
Prime Sponsor – Senator Ericksen (R; 42nd District; Whatcom County)
Current status – Referred to the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy and Technology; had a hearing January 21st.
Next step would be – Action by the committee.
Legislative tracking page for the bill.

Summary –

Most of the bill is about changing the current regulations on cell phone companies; I’m not summarizing those sections.

The bill would also allow a tax credit, divided over fifteen years, of up to 50% of the capital costs (including sales and use taxes) for extending broadband to an unserved area. The credit that could be claimed by a company in a reporting period would be limited to $5 million, and total credits under the bill would be limited to $50 million. Unused credits could be carried forward for up to fifteen years. The bill declares that the Legislature intends to extend the expiration date of the exemption if a review finds that the number of individuals with internet access in unserved areas has increased by ten percent in ten years.

It would also no longer require PUD’s providing wholesale or retail telecommunications services to use any revenues from them only for the costs of building and maintaining them, and no longer require them to account to separately for those revenues and expenditures.