wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > HB 1503 > Original Bill
The legislature reaffirms the findings made in section 102, chapter 265, Laws of 2022, in particular the findings that access to the internet is essential to participating in modern day society; the cost of being online continues to be unaffordable for many people in both rural and urban areas; and that, across the state, there is a lack of affordable plans, barriers to enrolling in appropriate broadband plans, and barriers to fully utilizing the opportunities that broadband offers.
The legislature further reaffirms its intent to broaden access to the internet, the appropriate devices, and the skills to operate online safely and effectively so that all people in Washington can fully participate in our society, democracy, and economy by expanding assistance and support programs offered in the state.
To support the state's efforts in providing access to the internet and the skills to effectively and safely utilize it, the legislature intends to support existing cross-agency collaboration, in particular between the department of commerce and the office of equity. The legislature intends to facilitate this collaboration, in which the department of commerce has primary responsibility for increasing access to broadband and related infrastructure, and the office of equity has primary responsibility for increasing digital equity by facilitating the provision of digital devices and services to individuals and communities in Washington.
The definitions in this section apply throughout this section and RCW 43.330.532 through 43.330.538, 43.330.412, and 43.330.5393, and 43.330.5395 unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
The governor's statewide broadband office is established. The director of the office must be appointed by the governor. The office may employ staff necessary to carry out the office's duties as prescribed by chapter 365, Laws of 2019, subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose.
The purpose of the office is to encourage, foster, develop, and improve affordable, quality broadband, broadband adoption, and digital equity within the state in order to:
Drive job creation, promote innovation, improve economic vitality, and expand markets for Washington businesses;
Serve the ongoing and growing needs of Washington's education systems, health care systems, public safety systems, transportation systems, industries and business, governmental operations, and citizens; and
Improve broadband accessibility and adoption for unserved and underserved communities and populations.
The office has the power and duty to:
Serve as the central broadband planning body for the state of Washington;
Coordinate with relevant state agencies, local governments, tribes, public and private entities, public housing agencies, community anchor institutions, nonprofit organizations, and consumer-owned and investor-owned utilities to develop strategies and plans promoting deployment of broadband infrastructure and greater broadband access and broadband adoption, while protecting proprietary information;
Review existing broadband initiatives, policies, and public and private investments;
Develop, recommend, and implement a statewide plan to encourage cost-effective broadband access and to make recommendations for increased usage, particularly in rural and other unserved areas;
Update the state's broadband goals and definitions for broadband service in unserved areas as technology advances, except that the state's definition for broadband service may not be actual speeds less than 100 megabits per second download and 20 megabits per second upload; and
Encourage public-private partnerships to increase deployment and adoption of broadband services and applications.
When developing plans or strategies for broadband deployment, the office must consider:
Partnerships between communities, tribes, nonprofit organizations, local governments, consumer-owned and investor-owned utilities, and public and private entities;
Funding opportunities that provide for the coordination of public, private, state, and federal funds for the purposes of making broadband infrastructure or broadband services available to rural and unserved areas of the state;
Barriers to the deployment, adoption, and utilization of broadband service, including affordability of service and project coordination logistics; and
Requiring minimum broadband service of 100 megabits per second download and 20 megabits per second upload speed, that is scalable to faster service.
The office may assist applicants for the grant and loan program created in RCW 43.155.160, the digital equity opportunity program created in RCW 43.330.412, and the digital equity planning grant program created in RCW 43.330.5393 with seeking federal funding or matching grants and other grant opportunities for deploying or increasing adoption of broadband services.
The office may take all appropriate steps to seek and apply for federal funds for which the office is eligible, and other grants, and accept donations, and must deposit these funds in the statewide broadband account created in RCW 43.155.165.
5.
In carrying out its purpose, the office must collaborate with federally recognized tribes and all relevant state agencies including the utilities and transportation commission, Washington technology solutions, the department of commerce, the community economic revitalization board, the department of transportation, the public works board, the state librarian, the Washington state office of equity, and the office of the superintendent of public instruction. As a part of this collaboration, the office must provide data to the Washington state office of equity regarding broadband adoption and digital equity programs maintained by the office to assist the Washington state office of equity in monitoring the implementation of a state digital equity plan in accordance with RCW 43.330.539 (as recodified by this act).
It is a goal of the state of Washington that:
1.
By 2028, all Washington businesses, residences, and community anchor institutions have access to broadband service of 150 megabits per second download and 20 megabits per second upload in accordance with RCW 43.330.530;
By 2030, Washington businesses, residences, and community anchor institutions have access to at least one gigabit per second download speed paired with 500 megabits per second upload speed for long-term fixed broadband in the state; and
By 2032, broadband goals for the state of Washington are reviewed and updated with input provided by entities, such as the digital equity forum, communities, tribes, nonprofit organizations, local governments, consumer-owned and investor-owned utilities, relevant state agencies, and public and private entities.
The office is primarily responsible, in coordination with the state broadband office, for encouraging, fostering, developing, and improving digital equity by facilitating the provision of digital devices and services to individuals and communities in Washington.
The office shall coordinate with the statewide broadband office and the department of commerce for an outreach effort to hard-to-reach communities and low-income communities across the state to provide information about broadband and digital equity programs available to consumers of these communities and assist consumers in enrolling in these programs. The outreach effort must include, but is not limited to, providing information to applicable communities about the federal lifeline program and other low-income broadband benefit programs, and must facilitate relationship-building and the communication of lived experience to amplify local efforts and identify continuing needs. The office shall review the outreach effort annually. The office shall coordinate with state boards and commissions that support the participation of people from underrepresented populations in policy-making processes, and may otherwise coordinate or contract with other public or private entities, including to conduct outreach to communities and assist consumers in program enrollment as provided under this subsection.
The office, in consultation with the digital equity forum, the utilities and transportation commission, the statewide broadband office, the department of social and health services, and other relevant state agencies, must develop and monitor implementation of a state digital equity plan.
The development of the state digital equity plan must build upon the progress made by the statewide broadband office in developing a state digital equity plan.
The state digital equity plan must include such elements as the office determines are necessary to leverage federal funding.
In developing the plan, the office must identify measurable objectives for documenting and promoting digital equity among underserved communities located in the state.
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By December 1, 2026, the office must submit a report to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature, including the following:
The digital equity plan described in subsection (3) of this section and measurable objectives described in subsection (4) of this section;
A description of how the office collaborated with the membership of the digital equity forum, state agencies, and key partners to develop the plan including, but not limited to, the following:
(A) Community anchor institutions;
(B) Local governments;
(C) Local educational agencies;
(D) Entities that carry out workforce development programs; and
(E) Broadband service providers;
iii. A description of federal funding available to advance digital equity in the state
;
iv. An evaluation of existing state digital equity initiatives, policies, programs, funding needs, and public and private investments, including a recommended model for future infrastructure and outreach investments; and
v. Recommendations of additional state law or policy that can be targeted to help improve broadband adoption and affordability for state residents. This may include recommendations of ongoing subsidies that the state can provide to low-income individuals and community anchor institutions, as well as identification of revenue sources that other states or jurisdictions have developed to fund such subsidies or discounted rates.
b. The office shall review, update, and submit to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature a revised state digital equity plan every two years after its initial publication. The office shall submit to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature an updated report that includes the topics in (a)(i) through (v) of this subsection and subsection (6) of this section the year following its submission of a revised state digital equity plan.
The Washington digital equity forum is established for the purpose of developing recommendations to advance digital connectivity, broadband adoption, and digital equity in Washington state .
In developing its recommendations to advance digital connectivity, broadband adoption, and digital equity, the forum must:
Develop goals that are consistent with the goals of the governor's statewide broadband office, as provided in RCW 43.330.536, and the office, as provided in RCW 43.06D.020;
Strengthen public-private partnerships, cooperatives, and other partnerships that promote digital connectivity, broadband adoption, and digital equity;
Solicit public input through public hearings or informational sessions;
Work to increase collaboration and communication between local, state, and federal governments and agencies; and
Recommend opportunities for sustainable digital equity funding, including reforms to current universal service mechanisms.
The directors of the governor's statewide broadband office and the office are responsible for appointing participating members of the digital equity forum and no appointment may be made unless each director concurs in the appointment. In making appointments, the directors must prioritize appointees representing:
Federally recognized tribes;
State and local agencies involved in digital equity; and
Underserved and unserved communities, including historically disadvantaged communities.
A majority of the members appointed by the directors may appoint an administrative chair the forum.
In addition to members appointed by the directors, four legislators may serve on the digital equity forum in an ex officio capacity. Legislative participants must be appointed as follows:
The speaker of the house of representatives must appoint one member from each of the two largest caucuses of the house of representatives; and
The president of the senate must appoint one member from each of the two largest caucuses of the senate.
Funds appropriated to the forum may be used to compensate, for any work done in connection with the forum, additional persons who have lived experience navigating barriers to digital connectivity and digital equity.
Staff for the digital equity forum must be provided by the office . The office is responsible for transmitting the recommendations of the digital equity forum to the legislature, consistent with RCW 43.01.036, by October 28, 2025, and every odd-numbered year thereafter.
The definitions in this section apply to RCW 43.330.539 (as recodified by this act) and 43.330.5395 (as recodified by this act) unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
"Broadband," "broadband service," and "broadband adoption" have the meanings defined in RCW 43.330.530.
"Community anchor institution" has the meaning defined in RCW 43.330.530.
"Digital equity" has the meaning defined in RCW 43.330.530.
"Local government" has the meaning defined in RCW 43.330.530.
"Low-income" has the meaning defined in RCW 43.330.530.
"Office" means the Washington state office of equity.
"Underserved population" has the meaning defined in RCW 43.330.530.
RCW 43.330.539 and 43.330.5395 are each recodified as sections in chapter 43.06D RCW.