Colo. Lawmakers Advance Broadband Bills

Multiple telecom and internet bills cleared the Colorado House during the weekend and are on their way to the governor. The House voted 53-7 Saturday in favor of HB-1336 after concurring with Senate amendments. If approved by Gov. Jared Polis (D), the bill will transfer authority for awarding high-cost support to the state broadband office from a broadband deployment board in the governor's IT office (see 2405020016). Also, the House voted 44-16 to pass HB-1334 after agreeing to Senate changes. Polis will next consider that bill, which would prohibit owners of multiunit buildings from denying broadband providers access to install high-speed internet (see 2405010009). In addition, the House voted 61-0 to pass the Senate-passed SB-151, which would require the state’s homeland security division to make rip-and-replace rules for telecom infrastructure equipment that a federally banned entity manufactured. The House didn’t amend the bill, so it will go to Polis next. Last, the House on Sunday approved unanimously a kids’ privacy bill (SB-41) that the Senate passed last month (see 2404240064). Due to House changes, the Senate must vote again on that bill before it can go to the governor.