BEAM; amend definitions for "applicant" and "eligible project" and add "retail end user."

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To: Energy
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Senator(s) Parks

SENATE BILL NO. 2783
(As Passed the Senate)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 77-19-3, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO 1
AMEND THE DEFINITIONS FOR "APPLICANT" AND "ELIGIBLE PROJECT," TO 2
DISTINGUISH BETWEEN PROJECTS FUNDING SERVICES TO RETAIL END USERS 3
AND PROJECTS OTHER THAN THOSE FUNDING SERVICES TO RETAIL END 4
USERS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 6
SECTION 1. Section 77-19-3, Mississippi Code of 1972, is 7
amended as follows: 8
77-19-3. As used in this chapter: 9
(a) For projects funding services to retail end users, 10
"Applicant" means an eligible broadband service provider that has 11
authorization to do business in this state and has demonstrated 12
that it has the technical, financial and managerial resources and 13
experience to provide broadband services in the state to retail 14
end users. For projects other than those funding services to 15
retail end users, "applicant" means any entity eligible for the 16
grant program under the applicable state or federal grant programs 17
statutes, rules, regulations or guidance. 18
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(b) "Broadband service" means a mass-market retail 19
service by wire, cable, fiber, or radio provided to customers in 20
the State of Mississippi that provides the capability to transmit 21
data to, and receive data from, all or substantially all Internet 22
endpoints, at speeds of at least one hundred (100) megabits per 23
second downstream and twenty (20) megabits per second upstream, 24
and including, but not limited to, any capabilities that are 25
incidental to and enable the operation of communications service, 26
but excluding dial-up Internet access service. 27
(c) "Office" means the Office of Broadband Expansion 28
and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM) within the Department of 29
Finance and Administration created in Section 77-19-5. 30
(d) "Deployed" means, with respect to availability of 31
broadband service at a location, when the person or entity has 32
access regardless of whether a person or entity subscribes to the 33
broadband service at the location. 34
(e) "Eligible broadband service provider" means any 35
company, firm, corporation, limited liability company, partnership 36
or association (i) that has been providing broadband service to at 37
least one hundred (100) residences and businesses in Mississippi 38
for at least three (3) consecutive years; (ii) is an electric 39
power association's broadband affiliate operating pursuant to 40
Section 77-17-1 et seq.; or (iii) that has demonstrated financial, 41
technical, and operational capability in building and operating a 42
broadband network. 43
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ST: BEAM; amend definitions for "applicant" and
"eligible project" and add "retail end user."
(f) For grants to fund services to retail end users, 44
"Eligible project" means a discrete and specific project located 45
in an unserved or underserved area of the state seeking to provide 46
broadband services to residences, businesses, and community 47
institutions not currently available for service in accordance 48
with the applicable federal guidelines. For programs other than 49
those funding services to retail end users, "eligible project" 50
means any entity eligible under the applicable state or federal 51
grant programs statutes, rules, regulations or guidance. 52
(g) "Shapefile" means a digital storage format 53
containing geospatial or location-based data and attribute 54
information regarding the availability of broadband Internet 55
access service, and that can be viewed, edited, and mapped in 56
geographic information system software. 57
(h) "Retail end user" means any person or entity that 58
purchases broadband service from a broadband service provider, for 59
its own use or for the purpose of providing broadband service to 60
others. 61
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 62
and after its passage. 63