BRIGHT FUTURES ACT.

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View NCGA Bill Details2017-2018 Session
House Bill 68 (Public) Filed Wednesday, February 8, 2017
AN ACT ENCOURAGING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF BRIGHT MARKETS BY ENABLING THE LEASE OF ADDITIONAL DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE NECESSARY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION IN KEY MARKETS, INCLUDING BROADBAND, RETAIL ONLINE SERVICES, INTERNET OF THINGS, GRIDPOWER, HEALTH CARE, AND TRAINING AND EDUCATION.
Intro. by Szoka, Saine, S. Martin, Brenden Jones.

Status: Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate (Senate Action) (Apr 21 2017)

SOG comments (2):

Identical bill

Identical to S 65, filed 2/9/17.

Long Title Change

House committee substitute to the 1st edition made changes to the long title. The original title is as follows:

AN ACT ENCOURAGING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF BRIGHT MARKETS BY ADDING THE DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE NECESSARY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION IN KEY MARKETS, INCLUDING BROADBAND, RETAIL ONLINE SERVICES, INTERNET OF THINGS, GRIDPOWER, HEALTH CARE, AND TRAINING AND EDUCATION.

H 68

Bill Summaries:

  • Summary date: Apr 19 2017 - View Summary

    House committee substitute makes the following changes to the 1st edition.

    Amends the long title.

    Deletes a whereas clause.

    Deletes proposed amendments to GS 143B-472.127 (Programs administered by the Rural Economic Development Division) and GS 143-128.1C (Public-Private partnership construction contracts).

    Amends GS 160A-272 (Lease or rental of property). Authorizes town councils to approve leases for the operation and use of components of a wired or wireless network, without treating the lease as a sale of property, for a term of up to 25 years. Requires such leases to be entered into on a competitively neutral and nondiscriminatory basis, and made available to similarly situated providers on comparable terms and conditions. Prohibits such leases from being used to subsidize the provision of competitive service.

    Amends GS 160A-272.1 to subject lease of city-owned utility or public service enterprises to GS Chapter 160A, Article 12 (Sale and Disposition of Property).

    Amends GS 160A-321 (Sale, lease, or discontinuance of city-owned enterprise). Provides that that statute applies to the sale or lease of public enterprises (currently, public or otherwise is not specified). Authorizes a city to lease a part of the city-owned public enterprise to be operated and used as a component of a wired or wireless network without a vote of the people, subject to GS Chapter 160A, Article 12 (Sale and Disposition of Property).

    Enacts new GS 153A-458 (Authority to construct internal communications). Authorizes counties to purchase, lease, construct, and operate facilities to support intragovernmental services for the county's internal governmental purposes.

    Amends GS 143-128.1C (Public-private partnership construction projects). Definespublic-private projects to include capital improvement projects for the benefit of a city or county under a development contract that include construction of components of a wired or wireless network in conjunction with or part of another construction project undertaken by the city or county.

    Amends proposed GS 143B-438.14(e) to require the NCWorks Commission to submit the initial report required under that subsection on or before July 1, 2017 (currently, May 1, 2017).

    Amends SL 2016-94, Section 15.1. Requires the Department of Commerce to submit the supplement required under that section by July 1, 2017 (currently, May 1, 2017). Amends the required information to require an evaluation of whether funds allocated for downtown revitalization projects can or should be used to support the development of digital infrastructure. Makes a conforming change.


  • Summary date: Feb 8 2017 - View Summary

    Includes several whereas clauses.

    Currently, GS 143B-472.127 authorizes the Rural Economic Development Division to administer economic development grants or loans awarded by the Rural Infrastructure Authority, as provided in GS 143B-472.128, to local government units to be used in specified programs. The statute is amended to authorize funds from these grants or loans to also be used to construct the digital infrastructure needed to support broadband, computing, and communications components where these facilities will generate private job-creating investment. Exempts grants under this subdivision from the provisions of GS 143-355.4 (concerning local government water system efficiency requirements).

    Amends GS 143-128.1C(a) to expand the definition of a public-private project in the context of construction to mean a capital improvement project undertaken for the benefit of a governmental entity and a private developer pursuant to a development contract that includes construction of a public facility or other improvements that also include digital infrastructure to support broadband, computing, and communications components.

    Adds to the powers and duties of the North Carolina Board of Science, Technology, and Innovation (Board) as follows. Directs the Board to annually report on the impact that technology and innovation in the BRIGHT markets is having on economic growth and development in the State, including recommendations for increasing that impact, to the Governor, the chairs of the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee on Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources, the Fiscal Research Division, the Secretary of Commerce, and any nonprofit with which the Department of Commerce contracts under GS 143B-431.01. Defines BRIGHT markets to mean broadband, retail online services, the internet of things, the power grid, health care, and training and education market segments. Specifies what the Board's annual report must include.

    Amends GS 115D-5.1 to require the State Board of Community Colleges to include in its annual report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee an assessment of how the Customized Training Program (created by the statute) has been used to support companies in BRIGHT Market segments, including recommendations on how efforts can be expanded or aligned with nondegree certification programs to increase employment in jobs in the NCWorks Online system.

    Amends GS 143B-438.14, which establishes the "No Adult Left Behind" Initiative, to add a new subsection to direct the NCWorks Commission (Commission) to submit an annual report regarding BRIGHT Market segments to the Governor and Chairs of the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee on Agriculture and Natural and Economic Resources, the Chairs of the Senate Appropriations Committee on Natural and Economic Resources, and the Fiscal Research Division. Specifies what the Commission's annual report must include.

    Amends SL 2016-94, Section 15.1, to require the Department of Commerce to supplement the report submitted pursuant to subsection (b) of the statute with three additional evaluations and recommendations relating to BRIGHT Market segments, as specified. Defines BRIGHT Market and digital infrastructure.