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SB 551 North Carolina Senate · 2025-2026 Session

Broadband Affordability Program.

SB 551 establishes North Carolina's Broadband Assistance Program to help low-income families afford internet service. It provides free broadband for families at or below 100% of the federal poverty level and a $15 monthly credit for families earning between 100-135% of the poverty level who also participate in programs like SNAP, Medicaid, or housing assistance. The program, funded by $250 million in state funds, requires annual income verification and direct payments to internet providers. The Department of Commerce must report quarterly on program participation, outreach, and recommendations starting in 2025.
Issues: ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill establishes state-funded broadband program to expand internet access for low-income households, directly advancing digital equity through $250M in funding and targeted affordability measures.95% confidence
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Mar 25, 2025 Last action Mar 26, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Filed → Edition 1 · 3 edits
MINOR
This diff shows primarily formatting and metadata changes to Senate Bill 551 rather than substantive policy modifications. The bill's core content regarding the Broadband Affordability Program remains unchanged, with only the document header, footer, and version identifiers being updated to reflect the official first edition of the bill.
TECHNICAL

Updated document identifiers from draft tracking numbers (DRS45290-MQa-20) to official bill version (S551-v-1) and changed the filing date from March 25, 2025 to March 26, 2025.

Added 'Rules and Operations of the Senate' as the referral committee with the specific date March 26, 2025.

Changed page footer from draft tracking number to 'Senate Bill 551-First Edition' to indicate official publication status.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
3
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Mar 26, 2025
Committee
Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
upper
Mar 25, 2025
Introduced
Filed
upper
0 primary · 3 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.