Legislation seeks to expand high-speed internet access

The state House Consumer Affairs Committee recently advanced legislation that would address the challenge of expanding access to high-speed internet in unserved and underserved areas.

Senate Bill 442 would require the state Department of General Services to conduct an inventory of all state-owned properties for the use of deploying high-speed internet. Counties also would be encouraged to conduct their own inventories, but the bill does not mandate it.

The bill also would require all revenue from large contracts to go toward expanding access to high-speed internet.

“The state is the largest landowner in Pennsylvania and can and should play an active role in closing our digital divide. This legislation would allow the state to assess all available options to deploy internet in areas most in need,” state Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York), who sponsored the bill, said. “The Wolf Administration entered into a 20-year contract with an out-of-state vendor in 2019 to market our state-owned properties to monetize these assets. Unfortunately, the revenue generated by this contract only grows the coffers of state government and the vendor. The state contract does not put a penny to closing our state’s digital divide. My legislation fixes that problem moving forward by dedicating this revenue to this major problem.”

The bill moves to the full House for consideration.