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HB 689 Louisiana House · 2025 Regular Session

UTILITIES: Provides for the regulation of certain broadband services (RE NO IMPACT See Note)

HB 689 establishes the Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity to regulate broadband services funded through the GUMBO 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 programs. The office gains exclusive authority to set rules, investigate complaints about slow speeds, pricing, or coverage failures, and enforce compliance through penalties or funding suspensions. It also creates a formal complaint process for residents and municipalities. The law explicitly excludes pre-existing broadband deployments and non-GUMBO-funded projects from its requirements.
Issues: ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyEstablishes Office of Broadband Development to regulate services, enforce speed/pricing standards, and expand access via GUMBO programs - directly advancing internet access and digital equity.95% confidence
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
May 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced May 14, 2025 Last action May 27, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

HB689 Reengrossed → HB689 Engrossed · 4 edits · May 20, 2025
MODERATE
The bill was renumbered from 'Reengrossed' to 'Engrossed' and its scope was expanded to include a new section (Subpart E) governing the regulation of broadband services. The primary substantive change involves updating reimbursement thresholds for grant recipients, shifting from a 15% final payment to a 10% final payment contingent on full deployment verification. Additionally, the bill clarifies the timeline for final disbursements, requiring completion within a mandatory 48-month period (extendable to 60 months) rather than an indefinite timeline.
Scope change
The bill's scope was expanded to explicitly include Subpart E of Part VI-C of Chapter 39 of Title 51, which regulates certain broadband services and establishes oversight authority for the Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity.
FISCAL

The final reimbursement payment for grant recipients was reduced from fifteen percent to ten percent.

TIMELINE

A mandatory forty-eight-month deadline was established for completing broadband deployments, with a potential one-year extension.

REQUIREMENT

Final payments are now strictly conditioned on verifying that one hundred percent of eligible locations have been reached.

SCOPE

New provisions were added to regulate broadband services and define the oversight and enforcement authority of the broadband office.

Floor votes · House May 20, 2025

How they voted

92–0
Passed · 10 other
Total votes 102
May 20, 2025
D Democratic31
25 Yea 6
80% Yea
R Republican71
67 Yea 4
94% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
6
Key actions
2
Committee
1
May 20, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, amended, roll called on final passage, yeas 95, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
May 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read by title, substitute title adopted, lies over in the same order of business, substitute for HB No. 305 reported by the Committee on Commerce (14-0).
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Daryl Deshotel
Daryl Deshotel
RRepublican
LA
28