STATE OF MINNESOTA THIRTEENTH MEETING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-FIFTH SESSION
TELECOMMUNICATIONS REGULATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE DIVISION
OF THE
COMMERCE AND LABOR COMMITTEE
MINUTES
Representative Sheldon Johnson, Chair of the Telecommunications Regulation and Infrastructure Division, called the thirteenth meeting to order at 8:13 A.M. on February 22, 2008, in Room 5 of the State Office Building.
The Committee Legislative Assistant noted the roll.
Members present:
Johnson, Sheldon, Chair
Masin, Sandra, Vice-Chair
Garofalo, Pat
Hilty, Bill
Hoppe, Joe
Juhnke, Al
Morrow, Terry
Sailer, Brita
Shimanski, Ron
Thissen, Paul
Members excused.
Beard, Michael
Representative Johnson called the meeting to order at 8:13 A.M. A quorum was present.
Representative Shimanski moved that the minutes of April 13,2007, September 18, 2007 and October 17, 2007, be adopted.
THE MOTION PREVAILED.
HF 2414 (Johnson) Telecommunications obsolete rules repealed.
Representative Johnson moved the bill
Representative Johnson moved amendment
H2414DE1.
The amendment was adopted.
Testimony was given by Jerry Knickerbocker, MN Telecom Alliance
Edward Garvey, Deputy Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Commerce
Representative Johnson renewed his motion that HF2414, as amended be laid over for possible inclusion in the omnibus telecommunications bill.
HF 2107 (Masin) Telecommunications goals provided, and broadband policy director and advisory board established.
Representative Mason moved HF 2107 before the committee.
Representative Masin moved
H2107DE2.
The amendment was adopted.
Testimony was given by:
Todd Hauschildt - MN High Tech Association
James Erickson, Fiber First MN
Edward Garvey, Deputy Commission of the Minnesota Department of Commerce
Randy Young, Minnesota Association of Rural Telecommunications
Mike Martin, Executive Director Minnesota Cable Companies
Jerry Knickerbocker, MN Telecom Alliance
Andy Schriner, Director of Government Affairs, Qwest
Tim Lovaason, President, Communications Workers Association
A handout folder "Broadband Fact Sheet" was given to division members.
A handout League of MN Cities
A handout "Broadband in Minnesota Households" was given to division members
A handout "Gigabit Internet Project" was given to division members.
Representative Thissen moved an oral amendment.
02/21/08 12:17 PM HOUSE RESEARCH BE/JF H2107DE2
1.1 .................... moves to amend H. F. No. 2107 as follows:
1.2 Delete everything after the enacting clause and insert:
1.3 "Section 1. [237.012] ULTRA HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND GOAL, TASK
1.4 FORCE.
1.5 Subdivision 1. Goal. It is the goal of this state to make ultra high-speed broadband
1.6 available to all citizens by 2015. For the purposes of this section, "ultra high-speed
1.7 broadband" means a service that provides access to the Internet at a connection speed of
1.8 not less than 250 megabits per second for both sending and receiving data.
1.9 Subd. 2. Establishment; membership. (a) The Ultra High-Speed Broadband
1.10 Task Force is established to make recommendations to the governor and the legislature
1.11 regarding the implementation of the state's ultra high-speed broadband goal.
1.12 (b) The Ultra High-Speed Broadband Task Force consists of:
1.13 (1) one member representing higher educational systems, and one member
1.14 representing K-12 institutions or consortia;
1.15 (2) one member representing health care institutions located in the metropolitan area,
1.16 and one member representing health care institutions located in rural areas;
1.17 (3) one member representing telephone companies located in the metropolitan area,
1.18 and one member representing telephone companies with fewer than 50,000 subscribers located in rural areas;
1.19 (4) one member representing cable communications systems providers located
1.20 in the metropolitan area, and one member representing cable communications systems
1.21 providers located in rural areas;
1.22 (5) one member representing Internet service providers;
1.23 (6) one member representing Minnesota counties;
1.24 (7) two members representing Minnesota cities;
1.25 (8) four citizen-at-large members representing Internet users, equally divided
1.26 between business and residential users in the metropolitan area and rural areas;
2.1 (9) the commissioner of commerce or the commissioner's designee;
2.2 (10) the commissioner of employment and economic development or the
2.3 commissioner's designee; and
2.4 (11) the commissioner of administration or the commissioner's designee. ; and
(12) two members of the senate, including one member from the majority party and one member from the second largest political party in the senate, one of whom is from the metropolitan area and one from outside the metropolitan area, appointed by the chair of the senate committee with primary jurisdiction over telecommunications policy; and
(13) two members of the house of representatuives, including one member from the majority party and one member from the second largest political party in the senate, one of whom is from the metropolitan area and one from outside the metropolitan area, appointed by the chair of the house committee with primary jurisdiction over telecommunications policy.
2.5 For the purposes of this paragraph, "metropolitan area" means the counties of
2.6 Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington.
2.7 (c) The governor shall designate one of the citizen-at-large members to serve
2.8 as chair of the task force. The Department of Commerce shall provide logistical and
2.9 administrative support to the task force.
2.10 (d) By November 1, 2009, the task force shall submit a report to the governor
2.11 and the chairs and ranking minority members of the senate and house committees with
2.12 primary jurisdiction over telecommunications policy containing recommendations for the
2.13 development of a comprehensive statewide broadband deployment plan designed to achieve the state's ultra
2.14 high-speed broadband goal described in subdivision 1. The report must include, at a
2.15 minimum:
2.16 (1)identification of the level of broadband service, including connection speeds for sending and receiving data, that is reasonably needed by all citizens by 2015
(2) a description of the policies and actions necessary to achieve the goal, including
2.17 the elimination of obstacles to investment and the identification of areas in the state that currently lack infrastructure necessary to support broadband service;
2.18 (2) (3) a description of the opportunities for the public and private sectors to cooperate
2.19 to achieve the goal;
2.20 (3) (4) an evaluation of strategies, financing methods, and financial incentives used in
2.21 other states and countries to support the deployment of high speed broadband;
2.22 (4) (5) an evaluation and recommendation of the security, vulnerability, and redundancy
2.23 actions necessary to ensure the reliability of ultra high-speed broadband;
2.24 (5) (6) an estimate of the costs of reaching the broadband goal, including capital costs,and identification of who will bear those costs;
(7) a description of economic development opportunities made possible by the wide
2.25 dissemination of ultra high-speed broadband; and
2.26 (6) (8) an evaluation of how access to ultra high-speed broadband can benefit
2.27 educational institutions, healthcare institutions, community-based organizations, and
2.28 government institutions.
2.29 EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective the day following final enactment."
The oral amendment was adopted.
Representative Masin renewed her motion that HF2107 be recommended to pass as amended and is re-referred to Commerce and Labor committee.
The motion prevailed.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:48 A.M.
REP. SHELDON JOHNSON, CHAIR
Mary Elizabeth Faust
Committee Legislative Assistant