LOC News
Committee Hears Digital Equity Bills
Bills to address digital equity were heard this week in the House Committee on Economic Recovery and Prosperity, chaired by Representative John Lively (D-Springfield).
HB 2507 passed out of committee this week and is headed to the House floor. The bill decouples the Oregon Telephone Assistance Program (OTAP) from the Federal Lifeline Program. This bill will ensure that broadband and telephone subsidies for low-income individuals will stay in place at the state level, whether or not there is continued investment in the federal program. The LOC is supportive of this bill and submitted written testimony during a public hearing in February.
HB 3256 was heard in a public hearing on March 9. The LOC is supportive of this bill and submitted written testimony. The introduced version of the bill is a placeholder, but there are two amendments that the LOC expects to be adopted: the -1 amendment and -2 amendment. The -1 amendment would require the Oregon Public Utilities Commission and Broadband Office to study broadband affordability programs and report back to the Legislature in September of 2022. The -2 amendment would create the Connecting Oregon Libraries Fund, which would have similar parameters to the Connecting Oregon Schools Fund in 2018. HB 3256 should also be scheduled for a work session in House Economic Recovery and Prosperity sometime next week.
Contact: Jenna Jones, Legislative Analyst – jjones@orcities.org