Senators Seeberger,  Westrom, Putnam,  Hauschild and  Kupec to introduce SF2169 in the MN Senate for broadband grant funds (amount matches Governor Walz’s budget) and increases broadband grant cap to $10 million per award…

A bill for an act
relating to broadband; modifying the border-to-border broadband grant program;
appropriating money; amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 116J.395,
subdivision 7.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 116J.395, subdivision 7, is amended to read:

Subd. 7.

Limitation.

(a) No grant awarded under this section may fund more than 50
percent of the total cost of a project.

(b) Grants awarded to a single project under this section must not exceed $5,000,000 $10,000,000.

Sec. 2. BROADBAND GRANT PROGRAM; APPROPRIATION.

$138,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $138,000,000 in fiscal year 2025 are appropriated
from the general fund to the commissioner of employment and economic development for
deposit in the border-to-border broadband fund account established in Minnesota Statutes,
section 116J.396, subdivision 1, for the purposes specified in Minnesota Statutes, section
116J.396, subdivision 2.