Establishes the affordable housing broadband assistance grant program

S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                           679

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                                    I N  S E N A T E

                                       (PREFILED)

                                     January 8, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by Sen. MARTINEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Corporations,  Authorities
          and Commissions

        AN ACT to amend the New York state urban development corporation act, in
          relation to the affordable housing broadband assistance grant program

          THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
        BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

     1    Section 1. Section 16-gg of section 1 of chapter 174 of  the  laws  of
     2  1968  constituting the New York state urban development corporation act,
     3  as added by section 2 of part MMM of chapter 58 of the laws of 2022,  is
     4  amended by adding a new subdivision 10-a to read as follows:
     5    10-A.  AFFORDABLE  HOUSING BROADBAND ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. (A) THE
     6  DIVISION SHALL ESTABLISH THE  AFFORDABLE  HOUSING  BROADBAND  ASSISTANCE
     7  GRANT  PROGRAM.  THE  PROGRAM  SHALL  SUPPORT  NO-COST AND/OR DISCOUNTED
     8  BROADBAND SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR  HOUSEHOLDS  RECEIVING  FEDERAL,  STATE,  OR
     9  LOCAL  HOUSING  ASSISTANCE  OR  RESIDING IN HOUSING UNITS DESIGNATED FOR
    10  LOW-INCOME AND/OR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
    11    (B) FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS PROGRAM, ELIGIBLE GRANT RECIPIENTS  SHALL
    12  INCLUDE  LOCAL  GOVERNMENTS, MUNICIPAL HOUSING AUTHORITIES AS DEFINED IN
    13  SECTION 3 OF THE PUBLIC HOUSING LAW, OR FOR-PROFIT OR NON-PROFIT LOW-IN-
    14  COME HOUSING PROPERTY OWNERS OR OPERATORS.
    15    (C) THE  DIVISION  SHALL  ESTABLISH  CRITERIA,  CONSISTENT  WITH  THIS
    16  SECTION,  FOR  GRANT RECIPIENTS TO SELECT AND CONTRACT WITH AN ENTITY TO
    17  PROVIDE BROADBAND SERVICE PURSUANT TO THE GRANT.
    18    (D) THE GRANTS SHALL  SUPPORT  THE  COSTS  ASSOCIATED  WITH  PROVIDING
    19  BROADBAND  SERVICES  TO  RESIDENTIAL END-USERS CONSISTENT WITH PARAGRAPH
    20  (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION AT NO COST OR A DISCOUNTED COST, AND WOULD COVER
    21  EXPENDITURES OF UP TO THIRTY DOLLARS PER MONTH PER HOUSING  UNIT  FOR  A
    22  PERIOD OF UP TO FOUR YEARS.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02767-01-5
        S. 679                              2

     1    (E)  THE  GRANT  RECIPIENT  SHALL,  TO  THE  GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE,
     2  PROVIDE FOR BROADBAND SERVICES THAT MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:
     3    (I)  PROVIDE  A  BASELINE  LEVEL  OF SERVICE OFFERING MINIMUM DOWNLOAD
     4  SPEEDS OF AT LEAST 100 MEGABITS PER SECOND IN EACH UNIT;
     5    (II) UTILIZE A FIXED, WIRELINE BROADBAND SERVICE;
     6    (III) ALLOW RESIDENTIAL END-USERS, AT THEIR OWN  COST,  TO  OBTAIN  AN
     7  INCREASED  LEVEL OF SERVICE BEYOND THE BASELINE LEVEL TO BE SUPPORTED BY
     8  THE GRANT; AND
     9    (IV) UTILIZE INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT:
    10    (A) OPERATE HIGH-SPEED NETWORKS CAPABLE OF DELIVERING DOWNLOAD  SPEEDS
    11  OF AT LEAST 100 MEGABITS PER SECOND, AND WITH CONSIDERATION TO PROVIDERS
    12  WHO CAN OFFER FASTER BROADBAND SPEEDS;
    13    (B)  HAVE  EXPERIENCE IN IMPLEMENTING AND SUPPORTING LOW-INCOME BROAD-
    14  BAND ADOPTION PROGRAMS; AND
    15    (C) HAVE A  DEMONSTRATED  ABILITY  TO  MEET  THE  GRANT'S  OBLIGATIONS
    16  INCLUDING  CUSTOMER  SERVICE CAPABILITY AND INITIATING SERVICE FOR RESI-
    17  DENTIAL END-USERS AS DETERMINED BY THE DIVISION.
    18    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.