HB 24-1245

HB 24-1245, also known as the Fair Labor Practice Requirements for Broadband Projects, ensures that when the Colorado broadband office receives federal funding for internet expansion projects, it must consider how well potential contractors follow fair labor practices. This includes requiring contractors to pay workers a certain minimum wage if they receive more than $500,000 in funding. The bill also mandates that the office create rules about labor standards within 91 days of receiving federal approval for its initial proposal under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Since it has been signed into law, this means that these requirements are now enforceable and will impact broadband project contractors in Colorado.

Official Summary

The Colorado broadband office (office) is authorized to seek or apply for, accept, and expend money from the federal government for broadband deployment. The bill requires that for federal money that the office distributes, or for state money that it distributes as matching funding for federal money, it must give substantial weight, but not less than 25% weight, to fair labor practices by establishing evaluation metrics for applicants. Additionally, for projects that receive an award of over $500,000, workers involved in the projects must be paid prevailing wages for the project to receive the award. The bill requires the Colorado broadband office (office), by and through the chief information officer of the office of information and technology, to promulgate rules that establish labor standards for grantees and subgrantees no later than 91 days after the office receives approval of its initial proposal for federal funding under the broadband equity, access, and deployment program authorized by the federal "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" and before, in connection with receipt of such federal funding, approving grants to internet service providers. (Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.) (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Votes