SB 727 — An Act providing for an inventory of State-owned assets for the development of fixed broadband services in unserved areas; establishing the Broadband Services Restricted Account; and providing for underserved areas of this Commonwealth.

PRINTER'S NO.   742

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 727
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY PHILLIPS-HILL, BROOKS, YAW, PENNYCUICK,
        HUTCHINSON, VOGEL, J. WARD, BAKER AND STEFANO, MAY 5, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY, MAY 5, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Providing for an inventory of State-owned assets for the
 2      development of fixed broadband services in unserved areas;
 3      establishing the Broadband Services Restricted Account; and
 4      providing for underserved areas of this Commonwealth.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7   Section 1.   Short title.
 8      This act shall be known and may be cited as the State-owned
 9   Assets and Broadband Services Act.
10   Section 2.   Definitions.
11      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
12   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
13   context clearly indicates otherwise:
14      "Department."    The Department of General Services of the
15   Commonwealth.
16      "Fixed broadband service."    An Internet connection provided
17   through a link to a stationary location.
18      "Mobile broadband service."    An Internet connection provided
19   through a link to locations that are not stationary.
 1      "Qualified provider."     A provider of mobile broadband service
 2   that has obtained all governmental approvals required for the
 3   provision of fixed broadband service in the unserved area or
 4   underserved area in which it seeks to provide the service.
 5      "Underserved area."   An area within this Commonwealth that is
 6   demonstrated to have limited access to fixed broadband services
 7   or mobile broadband services.
 8      "Unserved area."   An area within this Commonwealth that is
 9   demonstrated to not have access to fixed broadband services or
10   mobile broadband services.
11   Section 3.   Inventory of State-owned assets.
12      Under the act of June 15, 1972 (P.L.395, No.117), entitled
13   "An act providing for an inventory of all Commonwealth real
14   property, except highway rights-of-way to be prepared by the
15   Department of Property and Supplies, for its availability to the
16   public, for its updating, and for cooperation by all State
17   governmental agencies; and making an appropriation," and section
18   508(b) of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as
19   The Administrative Code of 1929, the department shall include in
20   its inventories and surveys of real estate structures and assets
21   information on possible use of those assets for fixed broadband
22   services or mobile broadband services. The information shall be
23   used by the department or its designee when analyzing resources
24   available in providing broadband services in unserved areas and
25   underserved areas.
26   Section 4.   Inventory of county-owned assets.
27      (a)   Preparation of inventories.--A county may prepare and
28   periodically update an inventory of county-owned assets that are
29   available and may be used to provide broadband services in
30   unserved areas and underserved areas.

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 1      (b)   Transmission to department.--A county inventory prepared
 2   under subsection (a) may be transmitted to the department and
 3   shall be included in the information used by the department
 4   under section 3 when analyzing resources available to provide
 5   broadband services in unserved areas and underserved areas.
 6   Section 5.     Lease or conveyance of State-owned assets.
 7      (a)   Licensing.--Subject to the guidelines adopted by the
 8   department under section 7, the State agency having
 9   responsibility for a State-owned asset for fixed broadband
10   services or mobile broadband services in an unserved area or
11   underserved area may lease or convey a license or other interest
12   in the asset to a qualified provider in order to permit the use
13   of the asset by the qualified provider in its deployment of
14   fixed broadband services or mobile broadband services within the
15   unserved area or underserved area or portion of that unserved
16   area or underserved area.
17      (b)   Evidence of compliance.--The requirement under
18   subsection (a) is subject to the qualified provider presenting
19   to the State agency evidence of compliance with structural,
20   permitting and other guidelines under section 7, which shall be
21   reviewed by the department or its designee.
22   Section 6.     Broadband Services Restricted Account.
23      (a)   Establishment.--The Broadband Services Restricted
24   Account is established in the General Fund. The money in the
25   restricted account is appropriated on a continuing basis to the
26   department for the purpose of deploying high-speed broadband
27   services in unserved areas and underserved areas.
28      (b)   Funding.--The following shall be deposited into the
29   restricted account established under subsection (a):
30            (1)   All revenue generated from leases, licenses or other

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 1      interests in assets authorized by this act.
 2          (2)     All revenue generated from the contract entered into
 3      between the department and a wireless infrastructure program
 4      manager on August 23, 2019, and identified by the department
 5      as Contract Number 4400021522.
 6          (3)     All revenue generated from any other contract or
 7      agreement entered into between the department and a wireless
 8      infrastructure program manager for any of the following
 9      purposes:
10                (i)    to analyze and market Commonwealth-owned assets,
11          a neutral host system, for revenue-generating purposes;
12                (ii)    to manage the occupancy, revenues and expenses
13          associated with each asset;
14                (iii)    to construct or, through agreement with a
15          service provider, facilitate the construction of new
16          telecommunication equipment on Commonwealth-owned land,
17          facilities or within rights-of-way;
18                (iv)    to retrofit or facilitate the upgrade of
19          existing telecommunication equipment, including, but not
20          limited to, space on any previously constructed towers
21          and buildings; and
22                (v)    to enter into site occupancy agreements for
23          assets and telecommunication equipment with service
24          providers that will facilitate the deployment of
25          broadband services to urban and rural consumers.
26   Section 7.   Departmental guidelines.
27      The department or its designee shall adopt guidelines for the
28   following:
29          (1)     Qualifications for broadband service providers.
30          (2)     Negotiating and finalizing site occupancy

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 1      agreements.
 2   Section 8.     Approvals.
 3      The department or its designee shall identify an appropriate
 4   timeline of no more than 90 days for approval of site occupancy
 5   agreements.
 6   Section 9.     Statewide Mobile Radio and Microwave System.
 7      (a)   Jurisdiction.--The Pennsylvania State Police shall have
 8   jurisdiction over the Statewide Mobile Radio and Microwave
 9   System described in the act of December 5, 1996 (P.L.921,
10   No.148), known as the Capital Budget Project Itemization Act for
11   1996-1997.
12      (b)   Allocation of proceeds.--Proceeds from the lease or
13   licensing of a tower or other asset of the Statewide Mobile
14   Radio and Microwave System shall be used for the purpose of
15   maintaining and improving the system.
16   Section 10.     Applicability.
17      This act shall not apply to:
18            (1)   The Pennsylvania State Police.
19            (2)   The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.
20   Section 11.     Effective date.
21      This act shall take effect immediately.




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