CHAPTER 189
HB 153 – FINAL VERSION
04/30/2015 1345s
11June2015… 2129EBA
2015 SESSION
05/08
HOUSE BILL 153
AN ACT relative to the telecommunications planning and development advisory committee.
SPONSORS: Rep. Rappaport, Coos 1
COMMITTEE: Science, Technology and Energy
This bill revises the membership and duties of the telecommunications planning and development advisory committee.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
04/30/2015 1345s
11June2015… 2129EBA
15-0324
05/08
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Fifteen
AN ACT relative to the telecommunications planning and development advisory committee.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
189:1 Telecommunications Planning and Development Advisory Committee; Membership. Amend RSA 12-A:46, II to read as follows:
II. The members of the committee shall be:
(a) The governor, or designee;
(b) The commissioner of resources and economic development, or designee;
(c) The commissioner of safety, or designee;
(d) The commissioner of the department of health and human services, or designee;
(e) The commissioner of the department of education, or designee;
(f) The state librarian, or designee;
(g) The chairman of the public utilities commission, or designee;
[(e)](h) One member of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
[(f)](i) One member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate;
[(g)](j) The chief information officer, or designee;
[(h)](k) The following persons nominated by the commissioner of resources and economic development and appointed by the governor and council, unless otherwise specified:
(1) Two members representing residential telecommunications customers;
(2) One member representing large business telecommunications customers, appointed by the senate president;
(3) One member representing small business telecommunications customers, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
(4) One member representing educational technology;
(5) One member representing municipal government;
(6) One member representing county government;
(7) One member representing a regional economic development organization or a regional planning commission; [and]
(8) One member representing healthcare technology[.]; and
(9) Up to 7 members representing several of the following sectors of the telecommunications industry: wireless, paging, incumbent local exchange carriers, competitive local exchange carriers, Internet service providers, cable, long distance providers, and broadcast television. A member representing one sector may also represent one or more other sectors, as deemed appropriate by the commissioner; and
[(i)](l) The director of broadband technology planning and development in the division of economic development.
189:2 Telecommunications Planning and Development Advisory Committee; Duties. RSA 12-A:46, IV is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
IV. The telecommunications planning and development advisory committee shall assist the director in promoting access to affordable and reliable broadband service to all state citizens and businesses by:
(a) Identifying and maintaining an inventory of the state's broadband availability.
(b) Continually assessing the availability of and need for broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas within the state.
(c) Disseminating information and data concerning communication services and broadband infrastructure within the state.
(d) Creating and facilitating public awareness and educational programs to encourage the use of broadband infrastructure.
(e) Continually assessing and making recommendations to improve services provided to citizens by state agencies via broadband and internet technologies as a mean of improving service and reducing costs.
(f) Identifying funding sources for broadband infrastructure deployment or education.
(g) Identifying barriers to investment of private capital in broadband infrastructure.
(h) Identifying opportunities for coordination among providers, consumers, and state and local governmental entities, including:
(1) Coordination with the statewide emergency radio networks.
(2) Use of telecommunications to facilitate delivery of Medicare and or Medicaid services and other related medical assistance, including but not limited to telehealth, telemedicine, and broadband access.
(3) Collaboration among public education initiatives to utilize and improve broadband to enhance educational opportunities between public, private, and special education institutions.
(4) Coordination of information resources using technology and support methods to improve collaboration between public, academic, and special libraries, organizations, and government departments, agencies, and their subdivisions.
(i) Identifying barriers to enrollment in the Lifeline Telephone Assistance program and supporting collaboration and outreach methods that increase enrollment in the program.
189:3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
Approved: July 6, 2015
Effective Date: July 6, 2015