CO HB1137

Requires the Broadband Deployment Board to give substantial weight to a local entity's written certification that an area is unserved when evaluating broadband deployment grant applications.

Expands the definition of "local entity" to include county governments, municipal governments (home rule or statutory cities, towns, cities and counties, or territorial charter cities), school districts, and boards of cooperative educational services.

Allows applicants to request and submit written certification from local entities as evidence that a proposed service area is unserved, but only after the local entity holds a public hearing and reviews quantitative data on broadband availability.

Requires the board's methodology for determining whether a project will serve unserved areas to give substantial weight to local entity written certifications.

Applies to all applications submitted on or after the act's effective date of August 5, 2020, subject to potential referendum petition.