SB 5671 — Modifying eligibility for the broadband service expansion grant and loan program.

Bill Text

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Compared against the Revised Code of Washington as published AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

This bill amends 1 section(s) of the Revised Code of Washington: RCW 43.155.160.

• RCW 43.155.160

  ; (f) Limited liability corporations organized for the purpose of expanding broadband access; and (g) Incorporated businesses or partnerships (2) (2) → (b) Tribes; (c) Nonprofit organizations; (d) Cooperative associations; and (e) Multiparty entities comprised of public entity members . (4)(a) The board shall develop administrative procedures governing the preapplication and award process. The board shall act as fiscal agent for the program and is responsible for receiving and reviewing applications and awarding funds under this section. (b) At least sixty days prior to the first day preapplications may be submitted each fiscal year, the board must publish on its website the specific criteria and any quantitative weighting scheme or scoring system that the board will use to evaluate or rank applications and award funding. (c) The board may maintain separate accounting in the statewide broadband account created in RCW 43.155.165 as the board deems necessary to carry out the purposes of this section. (d) The board must provide a method for the allocation of loans, grants, provision of technical assistance, and interest rates under this section. (5) An applicant for a grant or loan under this section must provide the following information on the preapplication: (a) The location and description of the project; (b) Evidence regarding the unserved nature of the community in which the project is to be located; (c) Evidence that proposed infrastructure will be capable of scaling to greater download and upload speeds; (d) The number of households passed that will gain access to broadband service as a result of the project or whose broadband service will be upgraded as a result of the project; (e) Evidence that before submission of the application, the applicant contacted, in writing, all entities providing broadband service near the proposed project area to ask each broadband service provider's plan to upgrade broadband service in the project area to speeds that meet or exceed the state's definition for broadband service as defined in RCW 43.330.530, within the time frame specified in the proposed grant or loan activities; p. 2 SB 5671 (f) If applicable, the broadband service providers' written responses to the inquiry made under (e) of this subsection; (g) The proposed geographic broadband service area and the proposed broadband speeds in the form and manner prescribed by the board; (h) Evidence of community support for the project; and (i) Any additional information requested by the board. (6) An applicant for a grant or loan under this section must provide the following information on the application: (a) The final location and description of the project; (b) Evidence that the proposed infrastructure will be capable of scaling to greater download and upload speeds; (c) The number of households passed that will gain access to broadband service as a result of the project or whose broadband service will be upgraded as a result of the project; (d) The estimated cost of retail services to end users facilitated by a project; (e) The proposed actual download and upload speeds experienced by end users; (f) Evidence of significant community institutions that will benefit from the proposed project; (g) Anticipated economic, educational, health care, or public safety benefits created by the project; (h) If available, a description of the applicant's user adoption assistance program and efforts to promote the use of newly available broadband services created by the project; (i) The estimated total cost of the project; (j) Other sources of funding for the project that will supplement any grant or loan award; (k) A demonstration of the project's long-term sustainability, including the applicant's financial soundness, organizational capacity, and technical expertise; (l) A strategic plan to maintain long-term operation of the infrastructure; (m) If applicable, documentation describing the outcome of the broadband service providers' written responses to the inquiry made prior to or during the preapplication phase; and (n) Any additional information requested by the board. (7)(a) The board shall pu

  amended

Action History

1. January 12, 2026

   By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.

2. February 12, 2025

   Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology at 8:00 AM.

3. February 05, 2025

   First reading, referred to Environment, Energy & Technology.

Sponsors

• Bob Hasegawa · Cosponsor
• Drew Hansen · Primary

Subjects