House Bill 1312 Summary

• Authorizes electric cooperatives in Mississippi to own, construct, and operate broadband systems within their service areas and to establish affiliates for broadband service provision.

• Requires electric cooperatives providing broadband service to operate it as a separate subsidiary with separate accounting, annual audits, and annual reports filed with the State Auditor; prohibits cross-subsidization between electric and broadband operations in areas already served by other broadband providers with adequate speeds.

• Restricts public funding for broadband deployment to unserved areas as defined by Federal Communications Commission data; allows the State Auditor to resolve challenges to FCC broadband availability designations.

• Mandates nondiscriminatory access to cooperative-owned poles for cable operators and telecommunications carriers at rates consistent with FCC formulas; prohibits requiring pole attachment costs for existing attachers when rearrangement is needed for broadband deployment.

• Prohibits electric cooperatives from requiring broadband service purchase as a condition of receiving electricity, from disconnecting electric service for unpaid broadband bills, or from discounting electric rates based on broadband subscriptions; gives State Auditor authority to inspect cooperative books for compliance.