H.F. No. 12 Summary

• Establishes a distance learning broadband access grant program in the Department of Education to provide wireless or wire-line broadband equipment and access to students lacking Internet during the COVID-19 pandemic for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years.

• Creates a telemedicine equipment reimbursement grant program in the Department of Employment and Economic Development to reimburse eligible health care providers (community health clinics, critical access hospitals, public health departments, physician practices, and nursing facilities) for purchasing telemedicine equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Establishes a supplemental broadband development grant program to fund middle-mile and last-mile broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas to support distance learning, telemedicine, business operations, and telecommuting during COVID-19.

• Appropriates $15,000,000 for distance learning broadband grants, $2,000,000 for telemedicine equipment grants, and $10,000,000 for supplemental broadband development grants from the coronavirus relief federal fund in fiscal year 2021.

• Requires reports to the legislature by January 15-31, 2021 on program implementation, including number of applicants, grants awarded, grant amounts, and administration costs for each grant program.