Senate Bill 897: Rural Broadband Initiative Act

• Establishes the Rural Broadband Initiative Fund as a special fund administered by the Department of Information Technology to support broadband infrastructure upgrades at eligible rural colleges.

• Allocates $25,000,000 in nonrecurring funds from the General Fund for the 2024-2025 fiscal year for eligible rural colleges to request grants for broadband infrastructure projects, technology, and equipment.

• Designates 52 North Carolina community colleges and technical institutes as eligible rural colleges to receive funding on a per-pupil basis with maximum grant award amounts to be determined by the Department of Information Technology.

• Requires the Department of Information Technology to submit semi-annual reports to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Information Technology and the Fiscal Research Division detailing fund utilization, project completion status, and implementation challenges.

• Takes effect July 1, 2024.