SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Monday, the House Greater Minnesota Jobs and Economic Development Finance Division approved legislation authored by Rep. Rob Ecklund (DFL – International Falls) to increase funding for high-speed broadband internet across the state. Additionally, the bill, HF 3029, strengthens both distance learning and telemedicine under the COVID-19 pandemic with new investments.
“Working, learning, and receiving health care services remotely is impossible without reliable internet access, and COVID-19 has highlighted the difficulties many Minnesotans face without high-speed broadband,” Rep. Ecklund said. “There is a considerable need in Greater Minnesota where thousands of families still lack any access, and this bill is a significant step forward to ensuring all students, families, and businesses can have the broadband access they need to succeed.”
The bill invests $10 million in the state’s Border-to-Border Broadband Grant Program to expand high-speed broadband, with the funding targeted to unserved areas. It also invests $8 million in a new Distance Learning Broadband Access Grant Program to provide students with the equipment necessary to access learning materials on the internet and reimburse school districts for costs to provide broadband access. Finally, it invests $2 million in the new Telemedicine Equipment Reimbursement Grant Program to reimburse health care providers and counties that purchase and install telemedicine equipment to provide COVID-19-related health care services.
The division voted to approve the bill, which next goes to the House Ways and Means Committee. Video of the hearing will be available on House Public Information Services’ YouTube channel.