Assembly Bill A7939

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7939
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              April 16, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  CUNNINGHAM  -- read once and referred 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:
 
   Section  1.  Section  16-gg of section 1 of chapter 174 of the laws of
 1968 constituting the New York state urban development corporation  act,
 as  added by section 2 of part MMM of chapter 58 of the laws of 2022, is
 amended by adding a new subdivision 10-a to read as follows:
   10-A. AFFORDABLE HOUSING BROADBAND ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM.  (A)  THE
 DIVISION  SHALL  ESTABLISH  THE  AFFORDABLE HOUSING BROADBAND ASSISTANCE
 GRANT PROGRAM. THE  PROGRAM  SHALL  SUPPORT  NO-COST  AND/OR  DISCOUNTED
 BROADBAND  SUBSCRIPTIONS  FOR  HOUSEHOLDS  RECEIVING  FEDERAL, STATE, OR
 LOCAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE OR RESIDING IN  HOUSING  UNITS  DESIGNATED  FOR
 LOW-INCOME AND/OR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
   (B)  FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS PROGRAM, ELIGIBLE GRANT RECIPIENTS SHALL
 INCLUDE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, MUNICIPAL HOUSING AUTHORITIES AS  DEFINED  IN
 SECTION 3 OF THE PUBLIC HOUSING LAW, OR FOR-PROFIT OR NON-PROFIT LOW-IN-
 COME HOUSING PROPERTY OWNERS OR OPERATORS.
   (C)  THE  DIVISION  SHALL  ESTABLISH  CRITERIA,  CONSISTENT  WITH THIS
 SECTION, FOR GRANT RECIPIENTS TO SELECT AND CONTRACT WITH AN  ENTITY  TO
 PROVIDE BROADBAND SERVICE PURSUANT TO THE GRANT.
   (D)  THE  GRANTS  SHALL  SUPPORT  THE  COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH PROVIDING
 BROADBAND SERVICES TO RESIDENTIAL END-USERS  CONSISTENT  WITH  PARAGRAPH
 (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION AT NO COST OR A DISCOUNTED COST, AND WOULD COVER
 EXPENDITURES  OF  UP  TO THIRTY DOLLARS PER MONTH PER HOUSING UNIT FOR A
 PERIOD OF UP TO FOUR YEARS.
   (E) THE GRANT  RECIPIENT  SHALL,  TO  THE  GREATEST  EXTENT  POSSIBLE,
 PROVIDE FOR BROADBAND SERVICES THAT MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02767-01-5
 A. 7939                             2
              

 
   (I)  PROVIDE  A  BASELINE  LEVEL  OF SERVICE OFFERING MINIMUM DOWNLOAD
 SPEEDS OF AT LEAST 100 MEGABITS PER SECOND IN EACH UNIT;
   (II) UTILIZE A FIXED, WIRELINE BROADBAND SERVICE;
   (III)  ALLOW  RESIDENTIAL  END-USERS,  AT THEIR OWN COST, TO OBTAIN AN
 INCREASED LEVEL OF SERVICE BEYOND THE BASELINE LEVEL TO BE SUPPORTED  BY
 THE GRANT; AND
   (IV) UTILIZE INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT:
   (A)  OPERATE HIGH-SPEED NETWORKS CAPABLE OF DELIVERING DOWNLOAD SPEEDS
 OF AT LEAST 100 MEGABITS PER SECOND, AND WITH CONSIDERATION TO PROVIDERS
 WHO CAN OFFER FASTER BROADBAND SPEEDS;
   (B) HAVE EXPERIENCE IN IMPLEMENTING AND SUPPORTING  LOW-INCOME  BROAD-
 BAND ADOPTION PROGRAMS; AND
   (C)  HAVE  A  DEMONSTRATED  ABILITY  TO  MEET  THE GRANT'S OBLIGATIONS
 INCLUDING CUSTOMER SERVICE CAPABILITY AND INITIATING SERVICE  FOR  RESI-
 DENTIAL END-USERS AS DETERMINED BY THE DIVISION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.