LC 4343 Legislature · 2025 Regular Session

Revise bonding laws to include broadband projects

This bill amends Montana's state bonding laws to allow municipalities and counties to issue bonds for broadband infrastructure projects. It directly affects local governments and internet service providers by expanding the legal definition of eligible "projects" to include facilities that provide broadband service with speeds of at least 100 megabits per second for downloads, 20 megabits per second for uploads, and latency under 100 milliseconds. The key provision adds a new category to the existing list of projects that qualify for state bonding authority, enabling these entities to finance broadband expansion through debt instruments. This change does not allocate specific funding but rather removes a legal barrier that previously prevented local governments from using bond financing for broadband development.
Bill status introduced 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 21, 2025 Last action Feb 20, 2025
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