I have been following the bill to expand the name and focus of the Office of Broadband Development. It’s always interesting to see what national sources this. Gov Tech reports…

House File 2279: This bill, introduced and first read by Minnesota Rep. Samantha Vang on March 19, would expand the name and duties of the state’s Office of Broadband Development.

The office, housed within the Department of Employment and Economic Development, started its work in 2014. It was charged with distributing grants to Internet service providers for investing in broadband infrastructure.

The new bill would rename the office to be the Office of Broadband Development and Digital Equity, and broaden its purpose to include improving broadband access, adoption and related digital inclusion activities.

“These changes will result in better high-speed Internet access, broadband adoption and affordability across the state,” Vang said during a House Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee meeting. …

Notably, the bill includes no financial obligations, as Baer emphasized.