House
File
2324
-
Introduced
HOUSE
FILE
2324
BY
SORENSEN
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
establishing
a
satellite
internet
grant
program.
1
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
2
TLSB
5302YH
(8)
89
es/rn
H.F.
2324
Section
1.
Section
8B.4,
Code
2022,
is
amended
by
adding
the
1
following
new
subsection:
2
NEW
SUBSECTION
.
20.
Administer
the
satellite
internet
3
grant
program
pursuant
to
section
8B.11A.
4
Sec.
2.
NEW
SECTION
.
8B.11A
Satellite
internet
grant
5
program
——
fund.
6
1.
As
used
in
this
section,
unless
the
context
otherwise
7
requires:
8
a.
“Initial
hardware
costs”
means
manufacturing
and
9
equipment
expenses
generated
from
accessing
a
satellite.
10
b.
“Person”
means
the
same
as
defined
in
section
4.1.
11
c.
“Satellite”
means
electronic
infrastructure
equipment
12
that
facilitates
broadband
service
that
revolves
around
the
13
earth
at
atmospheric
altitudes
between
two
hundred
kilometers
14
and
two
thousand
kilometers.
15
2.
The
office
shall
establish
and
administer
a
satellite
16
internet
grant
program.
The
purpose
of
the
program
is
to
17
facilitate
broadband
service
to
residents
of
the
state
through
18
a
satellite
connection.
19
3.
A
person
may
apply
to
the
office
for
a
grant
to
cover
20
up
to
the
initial
hardware
costs
under
this
section
by
filing
21
a
completed
application.
The
office
shall
develop
a
grant
22
application
form
and
establish
criteria
for
the
awarding
of
23
grants,
which
shall
include
the
following:
24
a.
Broadband
services
shall
be
facilitated
where
there
is
25
no
broadband
currently
available.
The
applicant
must
submit
26
satisfactory
proof
of
the
lack
of
service.
27
b.
A
statement
of
initial
hardware
costs
for
the
satellite
28
project.
29
c.
The
satellite
connection
shall
facilitate
internet
30
service
that
provides
a
minimum
download
speed
of
one
hundred
31
megabits
per
second
and
a
minimum
upload
speed
of
twenty
32
megabits
per
second.
33
d.
Other
performance-based
standards
and
criteria
deemed
34
appropriate
by
the
office.
35
-1-
LSB
5302YH
(8)
89
es/rn
1/
2
H.F.
2324
4.
A
satellite
internet
grant
fund
is
established
in
1
the
state
treasury
under
the
authority
of
the
office.
The
2
fund
shall
consist
of
moneys
appropriated
to
and
obtained
or
3
accepted
by
the
office.
Moneys
in
the
fund
are
appropriated
4
to
the
office
to
be
used
to
provide
grants
to
communications
5
service
providers
pursuant
to
this
section.
Notwithstanding
6
section
8.33,
moneys
in
the
fund
that
remain
unencumbered
or
7
unobligated
at
the
close
of
the
fiscal
year
shall
not
revert
8
but
shall
remain
available
for
the
purposes
designated
in
the
9
following
fiscal
year.
10
EXPLANATION
11
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
12
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
13
This
bill
creates
a
satellite
internet
grant
program
14
under
the
office
of
the
chief
information
officer
to
provide
15
broadband
connection
to
Iowans
with
limited
or
nonexistent
16
internet
connectivity.
17
The
bill
defines
“initial
hardware
costs”
to
mean
18
manufacturing
and
equipment
costs
generated
from
accessing
a
19
satellite.
The
bill
defines
“satellite”
to
mean
an
electronic
20
infrastructure
orbiting
the
earth
at
atmospheric
altitudes
21
between
200
kilometers
and
2,000
kilometers
that
facilitates
22
broadband
service.
23
The
bill
provides
that
a
person
may
apply
for
grants
24
administered
by
the
office
to
cover
up
to
the
initial
hardware
25
costs
for
satellite
interconnection
if
certain
criteria
are
26
satisfied.
Criteria
for
awarding
a
grant
include
providing
27
broadband
service
to
areas
with
no
broadband,
a
statement
28
of
the
initial
hardware
costs
for
the
satellite
project,
29
interconnection
facilitating
internet
service
that
provides
30
certain
minimum
download
and
upload
speeds,
and
other
standards
31
and
criteria
as
determined
by
the
office.
32
-2-
LSB
5302YH
(8)
89
es/rn
2/
2