New York A 6548: Establishes broadband opportunity areas

Bill Text

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A06548 Summary:

BILL NOA06548 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS S07845

&nbsp

SPONSORWoerner

&nbsp

COSPNSRHyndman

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Amd §16-gg, UDC Act; add §485-z, RPT L

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Provides for real property tax exemptions for last mile broadband infrastructure constructed, altered, installed or improved in an area designated a broadband opportunity area.

Go to top A06548 Actions:

BILL NOA06548 

&nbsp

03/06/2025referred to corporations, authorities and commissions

01/07/2026referred to corporations, authorities and commissions

Go to topA06548 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA06548 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topA06548 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 6548

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 March 6, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. WOERNER -- read once and referred to the Commit-
 tee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions

 AN ACT to amend the real property tax law and the urban development
 corporation act, in relation to establishing broadband opportunity
 areas

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Section 16-gg of section 1 of chapter 174 of the laws of
 2 1968, constituting the New York state urban development corporation act,
 3 as added by section 2 of part MMM of chapter 58 of the laws of 2022, is
 4 amended by adding a new subdivision 14 to read as follows:
 5 14. Broadband opportunity areas. (a) The division shall have the
 6 power to determine and establish broadband opportunity areas. To qualify
 7 as a broadband opportunity area, a location must be a population census
 8 tract that contains an underserved or unserved broadband serviceable
 9 location as defined by the federal communications commission.
 10 (b) To qualify for the exemptions set forth in section 485-z of the
 11 real property tax law, providers of telecommunication services must
 12 provide reliable internet service with consistent speeds of at least 100
 13 megabits per second for download and at least 20 megabits per second for
 14 upload, unless this requirement is waived for a specific project or
 15 location and a different speed level is approved by the division, but
 16 under no circumstances less than 25 megabits per second download and 3
 17 megabits per second upload, to residences within a broadband opportunity
 18 area.
 19 (c) The division may terminate a broadband opportunity area desig-
 20 nation upon finding that (i) the applicant has failed substantially to
 21 implement the required broadband plan within the time stated therein;
 22 (ii) there has been inadequate management and evaluation of the broad-
 23 band opportunity area at the local level; or (iii) the applicant has
 24 repeatedly failed to comply with program reporting requirements,

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD10236-01-5

 A. 6548 2

 1 provided, however, that no termination shall occur unless and until
 2 written notice has been given to the applicant and a public hearing has
 3 been held thirty days prior to the effective date of such termination.
 4 (d) For the purposes of this section, "provider of telecommunication
 5 services" means any person who furnishes or sells telecommunications
 6 services regardless of whether such activities are the main business of
 7 such person or are only incidental thereto.
 8 § 2. The real property tax law is amended by adding a new section
 9 485-z to read as follows:
 10 § 485-z. Broadband opportunity area. 1. (a) Last mile broadband
 11 infrastructure constructed, altered, installed or improved in an area
 12 designated a broadband opportunity area as established in subdivision
 13 fourteen of section sixteen-gg of section one of chapter one hundred
 14 seventy-four of the laws of nineteen hundred sixty-eight, constituting
 15 the New York state urban development corporation act, shall be exempt
 16 from taxation and special ad valorem levies by any municipal corporation
 17 in which located, for the period and to the extent herein provided,
 18 provided that the governing board of such municipal corporation, after
 19 public hearing, adopts a loc