HB 24-1336

HB 24-1336, which has been approved by the governor and will take effect on September 1, 2024, changes how broadband funding is managed in Colorado. It moves the responsibility for awarding grants from the Broadband Deployment Board to the Colorado Broadband Office, allowing this office to fund middle-mile infrastructure and other broadband needs throughout the state. The bill also requires public input and stakeholder review of these grant programs. Additionally, it reduces some appropriations for the Office of Information Technology in the 2024-25 fiscal year. This means that starting September 1, 2024, the Colorado Broadband Office will take over managing broadband grants and will need to consult with stakeholders and gather public input while also dealing with reduced funding for certain IT services.

Official Summary

The act: Repeals the broadband deployment board (board); Transfers the function of awarding grant money in the high cost support mechanism from the board to the Colorado broadband office (office) and authorizes the office to award grants for middle mile infrastructure; pole replacements, attachments, and other infrastructure; and other underfunded broadband needs throughout the state (grant program); Authorizes the office to conduct or cause to be conducted studies to assess broadband needs in the state; Requires the office to solicit public input regarding the grant program; Requires the office to establish a work group of stakeholders to help review grant applications for the grant program; Authorizes the chief information officer in the office of information technology (OIT) to adopt rules regarding the grant program; and Repeals the grant-making function of the office on September 1, 2030, subject to review by the department of regulatory agencies. The act decreases appropriations made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2024-25 state fiscal year to the office of the governor as follows: The amount from various cash funds for health, life, and dental for the office of information technology is decreased by $25,826; and The amount from various cash funds for enterprise solutions for OIT is decreased by $254,276 and the related FTE is decreased by 2.0 FTE. APPROVED by Governor May 22, 2024 EFFECTIVE September 1, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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