2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 90. Planning, Research, and Development › Chapter 1. Development Coordination › Part 6. ConnectMT Act › 90-1-603. Establishment of commission and program -- administration and funding

90-1-603. (Temporary) Establishment of commission and program -- administration and funding.
(1) There is a communications advisory commission that consists of nine members who must be appointed as follows:
(a) three legislators appointed by the president of the senate to include two members of the majority party and one member of the minority party;
(b) three legislators appointed by the speaker of the house to include two members of the majority party and one member of the minority party;
(c) the governor's director of the office of budget and program planning;
(d) the governor's chief economic development officer; and
(e) the governor's director of administration.
(2) The commission may provide parameters governing the submission and funding of broadband deployment grants as allowed by state and federal law or regulation.
(3) The department shall establish the broadband infrastructure deployment program and shall administer and act as the fiscal agent for the program under the direction of the governor's chief economic development officer and with advice from the commission.
(4) The department shall develop parameters in accordance with state and federal law and federal guidance for the deployment of broadband funds with advice from the governor's chief economic development officer and the commission. The department shall make all materials available for public comment at least 14 days in advance of consideration by the commission.
(5) The governor's chief economic development officer, with advice from the commission, shall review materials as required by the national telecommunications and information administration prior to submission for approval, deployment plans, and grant award recommendations made by the department.
(6) The commission may cancel or reject an eligible proposal in whole or in part when it is in the best interests of the state.
(7) The commission shall submit to the governor grant award recommendations for final approval.
(8) Appointed members of the commission must be compensated and receive travel expenses as provided in 2-15-124 for each day in attendance at commission meetings or in the performance of any duty or service as a commission member.
(9) The department of administration shall staff the commission.
(10) Funding for the commission is allocated from the administrative costs allowed in subsection (11).
(11) Funding for the program established under this section is subject to appropriations from general fund revenue, from bonds issued by the department, or federal broadband stimulus funds or other federal funds appropriated by congress and allocated to the department for funding of broadband communications projects. The department may retain up to 2% of federal funding to support program administration as provided for by the national telecommunications and information administration. The department shall report administrative expenditures to the commission on a quarterly basis. (Terminates on occurrence of contingency--sec. 9, Ch. 696, L. 2023.)
History: En. Sec. 3, Ch. 449, L. 2021; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 696, L. 2023.