100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
HB5752

 

Introduced , by Rep. Natalie Phelps Finnie - Emanuel Chris Welch

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
220 ILCS 5/Art. XXIII heading new
220 ILCS 5/23-101 new
220 ILCS 5/23-102 new
220 ILCS 5/23-103 new
220 ILCS 5/23-104 new

    Amends the Public Utilities Act. Creates the Broadband Advisory Council Article in the Act. Creates the Broadband Advisory Council to explore ways to expand broadband access throughout the State, including unserved and underserved areas. Provides that the Department of Commerce and Economic Development shall provide administrative, personnel, and technical support. Provides for the voting and nonvoting membership of the Council. Provides for the powers and duties of the Council. Provides that the Council shall report to the General Assembly annually concerning actions the Council took during the previous year.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB5752LRB100 18622 SMS 33847 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Public Utilities Act is amended by adding
5Article XXIII as follows:
 
6    (220 ILCS 5/Art. XXIII heading new)
7
ARTICLE XXIII. BROADBAND ADVISORY COUNCIL

 
8    (220 ILCS 5/23-101 new)
9    Sec. 23-101. Legislative findings and purpose. The General
10Assembly finds as follows:
11        (1) that the primary goals of the Governor, the General
12    Assembly, and the citizens of this State, are (A) by the
13    year 2020, to make every municipality, community, rural
14    area, and urban neighborhood in this State accessible to
15    affordable, reliable, and state-of-the-art Internet
16    communications through the expansion, extension, and
17    general availability of broadband services and technology,
18    and (B) to encourage the ubiquitous adoption of broadband
19    by all citizens;
20        (2) that, although broadband access has been extended
21    to many areas of the State, many rural areas remain
22    unserved and, although many neighborhoods in urban and

 

 

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1    suburban areas have broadband options, some urban
2    neighborhoods have been bypassed for broadband deployment
3    or upgrades;
4        (3) that the issues that have hindered providing
5    broadband access to rural areas of the State and to some
6    urban neighborhoods especially disadvantage elderly and
7    low-income households;
8        (4) that fair and equitable access to 21st century
9    technology is essential to (A) maximize the functionality
10    of educational resources and educational facilities that
11    enable our children and adults to receive the best of
12    future teaching and learning, (B) civic engagement, (C)
13    economic development, (D) access to state-of-the-art
14    health care, (E) aging in place, (F) participation in a
15    global economy, and (G) the State's farming communities;
16    and
17        (5) accordingly, it is the purpose of the General
18    Assembly to provide for the development of policies, plans,
19    processes, and procedures to be employed and dedicated to
20    (A) extending broadband access to citizens of Illinois and
21    (B) eliminating barriers to widespread adoption of
22    broadband Internet access.
 
23    (220 ILCS 5/23-102 new)
24    Sec. 23-102. Definitions. As used in this Article:
25    "Broadband" or "broadband service" means a service

 

 

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1providing advanced telecommunications capability with a
2minimum downstream data rate of 25 megabits per second and a
3minimum upstream data rate of 3 megabits per second that does
4not require the end-user to dial up a connection, that has the
5capacity to always be on, and for which the transmission speeds
6are based on consistently available bandwidth rates, not
7sporadic or burstable rates, with latency suitable for
8real-time applications and services such as voice-over
9Internet protocol and video conferencing, and with monthly
10usage allowance included within a fixed price that is
11reasonably comparable to that of residential terrestrial fixed
12broadband offerings in urban areas. This definition of
13"broadband" or "broadband services" shall be reassessed every 2
14years, beginning 2 years after the effective date of this Act,
15and modified as deemed appropriate by the Council.
16    "Broadband at benchmark speeds" means broadband service at
17the upstream and downstream data rates designated by the
18Federal Communications Commission, as those may change from
19time to time.
20    "Council" means the Broadband Advisory Council.
21    "Downstream data rate" means the transmission speed from
22the service provider source to the end-user.
23    "Internet protocol address" or "IP address" means a unique
24string of numbers separated by periods that identifies each
25computer using the Internet protocol to communicate over a
26network.

 

 

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1    "Upstream data rate" means the transmission speed from the
2end-user to the service provider source.
3    "Unserved area" means a community that has no access to
4broadband service.
5    "Underserved area" means a community that has access to
6broadband at lower than the benchmark speeds designated by the
7Federal Communications Commission.
 
8    (220 ILCS 5/23-103 new)
9    Sec. 23-103. Broadband Advisory Council; members of
10Council; administrative support.
11    (a) The Broadband Advisory Council is hereby established.
12The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity shall house
13the Council and provide administrative, personnel, and
14technical support services.
15    (b) The Council shall consist of the following 17 voting
16members:
17        (1) the Director of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
18    or his or her designee;
19        (2) the Secretary of Innovation and Technology or his
20    or her designee;
21        (3) the Director of Aging or his or her designee;
22        (4) the Attorney General or his or her designee;
23        (5) the Chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission or
24    his or her designee;
25        (6) one member appointed by the Director of Healthcare

 

 

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1    and Family Services to represent the needs of disabled
2    citizens;
3        (7) one member appointed by the Director of Commerce
4    and Economic Opportunity and nominated by the president of
5    a statewide organization representing electric
6    cooperatives;
7        (8) one member appointed by the Director of Commerce
8    and Economic Opportunity and nominated by the executive
9    director of a statewide organization representing
10    municipalities;
11        (9) one member appointed by the Director of Commerce
12    and Economic Opportunity and nominated by the president of
13    a statewide organization representing libraries;
14        (10) one member appointed by the Director of Commerce
15    and Economic Opportunity and nominated by the president of
16    a statewide organization representing public housing
17    authorities;
18        (11) one member appointed by the Chair of the Illinois
19    Community College Board;
20        (12) one member appointed by the Chair of the Illinois
21    Board of Higher Education; and
22        (13) five members to represent broadband providers for
23    3-year terms appointed by the Governor, with the advice and
24    consent of the Senate, as follows:
25            (A) one member representing an incumbent local
26        exchange carrier that serves rural areas;

 

 

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1            (B) one member representing an incumbent local
2        exchange carrier that serves urban areas;
3            (C) one member representing wireless carriers that
4        offer broadband internet access;
5            (D) one member representing cable companies that
6        serve Illinois; and
7            (E) one member representing satellite providers.
8    (c) In addition to the 17 voting members of the Council,
9the President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate,
10the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Minority
11Leader of the House of Representatives shall each appoint one
12nonvoting member of the Council.
13    (d) The members shall select a chair and vice chair from
14their number. In the absence of the chair, the vice chair shall
15serve as chair. The Council shall appoint a secretary-treasurer
16who need not be a member of the Council and who, among other
17tasks or functions designated by the Council, shall keep
18records of its proceedings.
19    (e) The Council may appoint working groups to investigate
20and make recommendations to the full Council. Members of these
21working groups need not be members of the Council.
22    (f) Seven voting members of the Council constitute a
23quorum, and the affirmative vote of a simple majority of those
24members present is necessary for any action taken by vote of
25the Council.
26    (g) Members shall serve without compensation and may be

 

 

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1reimbursed for reasonable expenses incurred in the performance
2of their duties from funds appropriated for that purpose.
 
3    (220 ILCS 5/23-104 new)
4    Sec. 23-104. Powers and duties of the Council generally.
5    (a) The Council shall:
6        (1) explore any and all ways to expand access to
7    broadband services, including, but not limited to, middle
8    mile, last mile, and wireless and satellite applications;
9        (2) identify barriers to broadband adoption among the
10    residents and small businesses of Illinois;
11        (3) research ways to eliminate barriers to adoption
12    through measures such as: digital literacy programs;
13    programs to assist older citizens in using broadband
14    Internet access; programs to facilitate adoption by
15    disabled citizens; and programs to encourage collaborative
16    efforts among public universities, community colleges,
17    libraries public housing, and other institutions;
18        (4) assess whether, and if so, the degree to which
19    broadband redlining is occurring in urban areas, such that
20    certain neighborhoods within urban areas, relative to
21    adjacent neighborhoods (whether suburban or urban) lack
22    broadband access or have access at lower speeds;
23        (5) gather data regarding the various speeds provided
24    to consumers in comparison to what is advertised;
25        (6) explore the potential for increased use of

 

 

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1    broadband service for the purposes of education, career
2    readiness, workforce preparation, and alternative career
3    training;
4        (7) explore the potential for increased use of
5    broadband services to facilitate aging in place;
6        (8) explore ways for encouraging State and municipal
7    agencies, including public housing authorities, to expand
8    the development and use of broadband services for the
9    purpose of better serving the public, including audio and
10    video streaming, voice-over Internet protocol,
11    teleconferencing, and wireless networking;
12        (9) cooperate and assist in the expansion of electronic
13    instruction and distance education services; and
14        (10) as the Federal Communications Commission updates
15    the downstream and upstream data rates, publish the revised
16    data rates in the Illinois Register within 60 days of the
17    federal update.
18    (b) In addition to the powers set forth elsewhere in this
19Article, the Council is hereby granted the powers necessary to
20carry out the purpose and intent of this Article, as enumerated
21in this Section, including, but not limited to:
22        (1) subject to appropriation, provide consultation
23    services to project sponsors in connection with the
24    planning, acquisition, improvement, construction, or
25    development of a broadband deployment project;
26        (2) promote awareness of public facilities that have

 

 

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1    community broadband access that can be used for distance
2    education and workforce development; and
3        (3) advise on deployment of e-government portals such
4    that all public bodies and political subdivisions have
5    websites and encourage one-stop government access and that
6    all public entities stream audio and video of all public
7    meetings.
8    (c) The Council shall also:
9        (1) monitor the broadband-based development efforts of
10    other states and nations in areas such as business,
11    education, aging in place, and health;
12        (2) receive input from all Illinois broadband
13    stakeholders and advise the Governor and the General
14    Assembly on policies related to broadband in Illinois; and
15        (3) serve as the broadband advocate to State agencies
16    and other State entities to communicate the broadband needs
17    of citizens and organizations that do not have access to
18    broadband service or to broadband service adequate for
19    their needs.
20    (d) The Council shall exercise its powers and authority to
21(i) advise and make recommendations to the General Assembly and
22the Governor on bringing broadband service to unserved and
23underserved rural and urban areas, (ii) advise and make
24recommendations to the General Assembly and the Governor on
25facilitating broadband adoption by all citizens, and (iii)
26propose statutory changes that may enhance and expand broadband

 

 

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1in the State.
2    (e) The Council shall report to the General Assembly on or
3before January 1 of each year. The report shall include the
4action that was taken by the Council during the previous year
5in carrying out the provisions of this Article. The Council
6shall also make any other reports as may be required by the
7General Assembly or the Governor.