The Washington state legislature passed a bill to provide a sales and use tax exemption for internet and telecom infrastructure projects involving a federally recognized tribe. The House voted 96-0 Thursday to concur with Senate amendments to HB-1711. The bill will go next to Gov. Jay Inslee (D).

Kansas launched an awareness campaign for the affordable connectivity program, the state broadband office said Friday. The state is working with EducationSuperHighway on the effort, which seeks to address that only 21% of eligible Kansas households have enrolled in ACP, it said. The program makes it easier for families to access essential tools, said Gov. Laura Kelly (D). “More Kansans need to know about it.”

The Texas Senate passed a telecom bill Thursday to clarify that the Public Utility Commission should continue to grant operating authority certificates to VoIP providers (SB-2399). Wednesday in Montana, the House passed two infrastructure bills. The chamber voted 98-0 to concur with the Senate on SB-521, which would allow applicants seeking to use the right-of-way to seek exceptions to paying fair market value. The House voted 73-25 for an amended SB-531, which would update state rules and definitions for NTIA’s broadband equity, access and deployment program. Also Wednesday, the Washington state Senate voted 48-0 for an amended HB-1711, which would provide a sales and use tax exemption for internet and telecom infrastructure projects involving a federally recognized tribe.

The California Assembly Communications Committee cleared amended bills including on video franchising, local broadband permits and low-income benefits at a webcast hearing Wednesday. Also, the committee unanimously passed a consent agenda including bills on 911 public education (AB-296) and grants for emergency communications on fairgrounds (AB-415). The committee voted 10-2 to send to the Appropriations Committee a bill (AB-41) aimed at tightening digital equity requirements in the state’s video franchise law. Sponsor Chris Holden (D), who chairs the Appropriations panel, said the 2006 Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act approach of self-regulation through competition failed to spread services to everyone within franchise areas. The California Broadband & Video Association thinks the proposed replacement, the Digital Equity in Video Franchising Act, would be “generally unfeasible,” said Legislative and Regulatory Advocacy Director Amanda Gualderama. The state cable association was joined by USTelecom in opposition. The Communications Committee voted 13-0 for AB-965, which would set a 60-day shot clock for local governments to decide broadband permit applications or have them deemed granted. It will go to the Local Government Committee next. Supporters included Crown Castle, CTIA, USTelecom and the Wireless Infrastructure Association. But the California Municipal Utilities Association raised concerns it duplicates previous rules including the FCC’s small-cells order. The Assembly panel voted 13-0 for AB-1231 to allow low-income consumers to stack benefits from California LifeLine, federal Lifeline and the affordable connectivity program. It goes next to Appropriations. "The bill is needed because the CPUC has prohibited Californian consumers from combining their California LifeLine and ACP benefits to maximize the amount of data they receive,” said TruConnect Chief Compliance Officer Danielle Perry, who is also a National Lifeline Association board member. The Utility Reform Network worries the bill doesn’t provide enough accountability on providers, said TURN lobbyist Ignacio Hernandez: Lawmakers should strengthen it or allow the CPUC to make rules. The commission already has an open proceeding on the issue, he noted. Supporting AB-1231, Communications Committee Chair Tasha Boerner Horvath (D) said she thinks the CPUC has overly restricted access for low-income people.

The Washington state legislature passed a 988 bill. The House voted 70-27 to concur with the Senate on HB-1134 on implementing the mental health hotline (see 2304100008).

New Hampshire’s attorney general's office can’t effectively enforce a proposed privacy law without more resources, Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau Chief Brandon Garod said Wednesday. The state AG office doesn’t oppose the intent of SB-255, but even good consumer protection bills are "toothless" without enough manpower for enforcement, Garod told the state’s House Judiciary Committee at a livestreamed hearing, he said. “This bill has the potential to create an enormous amount of additional work for the bureau,” which may need another attorney investigator and paralegal to properly handle, he said. That’s “especially because ... the drafters have made the decision to eliminate the private right of action that is present in all other unfair and deceptive acts or practices cases that can currently be brought in the state.” Citing Garod’s concerns, Consumer Reports policy analyst Matt Schwartz suggested adding a private right of action and including additional appropriations for AG enforcement. The bill’s House co-sponsor Rep. Dave Luneau (D) noted his 2019 privacy bill, which passed the House but stalled in the Senate, contained a private right of action. Though SB-255 limits enforcement to the AG, it’s much more specific than the 2019 bill and sets strong standards including for clearer privacy notices, he said. Senate sponsor Sharon Carson (R) said her bill is a “meaningful first step” in providing privacy rights to consumers that’s modeled after Virginia, Colorado and Connecticut laws. Similar bills in Texas, Montana and Indiana are advancing, she said. Rep. Shaun Filiault (D), another co-sponsor, said the bill’s similarity to other laws is an asset. “We're not creating something new. We fortunately have the advantage of following in other states’ footsteps.” Microsoft Senior Director-Public Policy Ryan Harkins urged legislators to pass the bill. The committee is scheduled to vote on SB-255 May 3 at 9 a.m.

Due to delays releasing a state broadband map, the California Public Utilities Commission again postponed this year’s deadlines for California Advanced Services Fund infrastructure account Wednesday. In a letter to stakeholders, CPUC Executive Director Rachel Peterson said the agency will delay the applications deadline by one month to June 1. The CPUC pushed back associated deadlines by the same amount, including challenges now due July 6 and agency action on applications now coming Feb. 29. The agency released its new map earlier this month (see 2304100048). The CPUC earlier extended the deadlines by one month because it said multiple service providers had submitted data late (see 2303220053).

Texas senators passed a state USF bill Wednesday that would direct VoIP providers to contribute to the telecom fund. SB-1710 would also allow the Texas Public Utility Commission to review whether previously rural areas should continue receiving support (see 2304060047). On Tuesday, the Senate unanimously passed SB-1893, which would ban TikTok on state government devices. Both bills now go to the House.

The Florida Senate passed a bill to make more of the state’s broadband program confidential. Senators voted 39-0 Tuesday for SB-552, which would exempt from public record inspection requirements information on communications services locations, project proposals and challenges submitted to the Department of Economic Opportunity through state or federal grant programs (see 2303290071). It goes next to the House. Also, the Senate voted unanimously for HB-379, which would include requiring district school boards to implement an internet filter to stop student devices from connecting to social media over district-owned servers. It would ban TikTok on district-owned devices and using that platform for communications for school purposes. And it would require social media literacy education to grades six through 12. The House passed HB-379 last month but must now concur with Senate changes.

The California Public Utilities Commission seeks comment on a Communications Division staff report on outages, the agency said Monday. The commission asked if its service quality standards in General Order 133-D should apply to VoIP and wireless and if the CPUC’s penalty mechanism has been effective. Also, the CPUC seeks input on data sources used for the report. Comments are due May 18, replies June 2 (docket R.22-03-016). Industry previously bristled at the possibility of applying California service-quality metrics to VoIP and wireless (see 2301240058). Also Monday, the CPUC released its order instituting a rulemaking (docket R.23-04-006) for a video franchise rulemaking (see 2304070014).