Hawaii, Md. Advance Broadband Bills

The Hawaii Senate Energy Committee voted 4-0 Tuesday for HB-1408 to establish a digital equity program and HB-963 to appropriate at least $33 million in state matching funds for the federal broadband, equity, access and deployment program in FY 2023-24. HB-963 also would appropriate at least $95 million received from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for BEAD. The same day in Maryland, the House Ways and Means Committee sent a broadband tax incentives bill (HB-551) to the floor.