Wireless Telephone Infrastructure Deployment Incentives

Added co-sponsors Bird, Boesenecker, Duran, Froelich, Lindsay, Marshall, McCluskie, McCormick, Rutinel, and Stewart K. to the House sponsorship list.

Added co-sponsors Cutter, Jodeh, and Roberts to the Senate sponsorship list.

Updated committee assignments to include Business, Labor, & Technology in the Senate and added a 3rd Reading Unamended date of April 15, 2025.

Removed the PREAMENDED status and committee amendments note, replacing it with REREVISED status indicating all amendments have been adopted.

Changed 'unserved areas' to 'unserved or underserved areas' in multiple sections to broaden eligibility criteria.

Updated the definition of 'qualified communication services facility' to include fixed broadband and mobile broadband internet access services.

Modified the definition of 'underserved area' to clarify that service must be available from more than one provider meeting FCC benchmarks.

Added 'underserved' areas as eligible locations for tax incentive payments and credits.

Updated determination requirements for counties to consider both unserved and underserved areas when evaluating incentive requests.

Changed eligibility criteria from unserved or underserved areas to only unserved areas for property tax relief incentives.

Updated definitions to focus on wireless telecommunications services and removed references to broadband deployment grant programs and the Cell Phone Connectivity Interim Study Committee.

Changed the requirement for determining unserved areas from using FCC maps available as of January 1 to using the most recently available FCC coverage maps.

Removed references to broadband deployment grant programs and the Cell Phone Connectivity Interim Study Committee from the bill text.

Formatting and line breaks were adjusted throughout the document to comply with final act standards, including repositioning the bill title and sponsor information.

Some capitalization and spacing inconsistencies were corrected in the statutory text, particularly in subsections (a), (b), and (d) of the legislative declaration.

A note was added at the beginning indicating the bill is prepared for signatures and directing readers to consult legislative status sheets for Governor action.

Added special districts as eligible entities to negotiate tax relief incentives alongside counties.

Updated definitions of underserved and unserved areas to include mobile broadband benchmarks in addition to fixed broadband.

Added requirement for counties to notify municipalities, special districts, and school districts when negotiating incentive agreements.

Added provision allowing counties to adjust their tax levy to cover the total amount of annual incentive payments or credits made.

Revised the definition of qualified communication services facilities to explicitly include wireless infrastructure alongside fixed broadband equipment.

Senate sponsorship list was expanded to include seven additional legislators (Bird, Boesenecker, Duran, Froelich, Lindsay, Marshall, McCluskie, McCormick, Rutinel, Stewart K.).

Procedural note updated to indicate the bill passed third reading unamended and will be reengrossed, with a new summary date of March 31, 2025.

Added a new section creating property tax relief for communication services deployment, allowing counties to offer incentives to taxpayers building infrastructure in unserved or underserved areas.

Removed provisions for state-administered wireless telephone infrastructure deployment grant program and related administrative fund allocations from the High Cost Support Mechanism.

Added new definitions for 'qualified communication services facility,' 'underserved area,' and 'unserved area' based on Federal Communications Commission broadband coverage maps.

Changed the burden of proof for tax relief eligibility from state broadband office standards to county-determined standards using FCC broadband coverage maps available as of January 1 in the negotiation year.

Added eligibility criteria specifying that taxpayers must demonstrate the proposed investment serves an unserved or underserved area to qualify for county tax relief incentives.