Sunset Broadband Deployment

The act:

• Repeals the broadband deployment board (board);
• Transfers the function of awarding grant money in the high cost support mechanism from the board to the Colorado broadband office (office) and authorizes the office to award grants for middle mile infrastructure; pole replacements, attachments, and other infrastructure; and other underfunded broadband needs throughout the state (grant program);
• Authorizes the office to conduct or cause to be conducted studies to assess broadband needs in the state;
• Requires the office to solicit public input regarding the grant program;
• Requires the office to establish a work group of stakeholders to help review grant applications for the grant program;
• Authorizes the chief information officer in the office of information technology (OIT) to adopt rules regarding the grant program; and
• Repeals the grant-making function of the office on September 1, 2030, subject to review by the department of regulatory agencies.

The act decreases appropriations made in the annual general appropriation act for the 2024-25 state fiscal year to the office of the governor as follows:

• The amount from various cash funds for health, life, and dental for the office of information technology is decreased by $25,826; and
• The amount from various cash funds for enterprise solutions for OIT is decreased by $254,276 and the related FTE is decreased by 2.0 FTE.

EFFECTIVE September 1, 2024
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)