HB 97

Department of Housing and Community Development - Office of Statewide Broadband - Established (Digital Connectivity Act of 2021)

Sponsor: Delegate LiermanCommittee: Economic MattersSubject: Economic and Community DevelopmentStatus: Vetoed by the Governor (Duplicative) (as of Dec 1, 2021)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Establishing the Office of Statewide Broadband in the Department of Housing and Community Development to ensure that every resident of the State is supported by high-quality broadband Internet service at an affordable price and has the tools necessary to use and take advantage of the Internet; requiring the Office to develop, by July 1, 2022, a statewide plan to ensure all State residents can connect to reliable broadband Internet by December 31, 2026; establishing the Digital Inclusion Fund to support capacity building in the State; etc.

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Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (64)

MGA witness list

FAV 55FavorableFWA 6Favorable with amendmentsINFO 3Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Stevenson, Christopher	1199SEIU	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bresnahan, Tammy	AARP Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Knowlton, Brianna	ACLU-MD	Written (PDF)
FAV	Gilmore , Deniselobbyist	AFSCME Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Sauls, Shanaysha	Baltimore Community Foundation	Written (PDF)
FAV	Muller, Franca	Baltimore Teachers Union	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Jefferson , Staceylobbyist	Behavioral Health System Baltimore	Written (PDF)
FAV	Klingenmaier, Lisalobbyist	Catholic Charities of Baltimore	Written (PDF)
FAV	Meyer, Isaac	Compass Government Relations Partners	Written (PDF)
FAV	Franchot, Comptroller	Comptroller of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Coy, Andrew	Digital Harbor Foundation	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Gresham-James, Tasha	Dundalk Renaissance Corp	Oral
FAV	Fry, Donald	Greater Baltimore Committee	Written (PDF)
FAV	Johnson, Korey	JOTF	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Arneson, Emilylobbyist	Kennedy Krieger Institute	Written (PDF)
FAV	Echelman, Adam	Libraries Without Borders	Written (PDF)
FAV	O'Day, Garrettlobbyist	MD Catholic Conference	Written (PDF)
FAV	Tulkin, Joshlobbyist	MD Sierra Club	Written (PDF)
FAV	Allen, McKenzie	Maryland Alliance of Public Charter Schools	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jabin, Drew	Maryland Association of Counties (MACo)	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Dorrien, Erinlobbyist	Maryland Hospital Association	Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Jorch, Bill	Maryland Municipal League	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Mitchell, Ellie	Maryland Out of School Time Network	Written (PDF)
FAV	May, Lisalobbyist	Maryland REALTORS	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Orosz, Samantha	Maryland Rural Health Association	Written (PDF)
FAV	Owusu-Acheaw, Pokuaa	Maryland State Education Association	Written (PDF)
FAV	Mehu, Natashalobbyist	Mayor's Office of Government Relations	Written (PDF)
FAV	Alsobrooks, Angela	Prince George's County Executive	Written (PDF)
FAV	Rodwin, Davidlobbyist	Public Justice Center	Oral
FAV	deloney, amalia	Robert W. Deutsch Foundation	Written (PDF)
FAV	Sheraz, Samreen	SOMOS	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kasemeyer, Pam	Schwartz, Metz & Wise, P.A.	Written (PDF)
FAV	Flicker, Yair	SmartLogic	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Schneiderman, Jesse	Strong City Baltimore	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wilkerson, Alicelobbyist	Strong Future Maryland	Position only
FAV	Gardiner, Shamoyialobbyist	Strong Schools Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Vasquez, Kimberly	Students Organizing a Multicultural and Open Society (SOMOS)	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Siri, Michellelobbyist	The Delivery of Legal Services Section Council for the MSBA	Written (PDF)
FAV	Shapiro, Nancy	University System of Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bergmark, Christine	clb advising, llc and Even' Star Farm	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bair, Gary	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Caucus, MD Latino	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Delegate Lierman, Delegate Liermanlegislator	Individual	Position only
FAV	Hardebeck, Jason	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Heilker, David	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Kolp, Ande	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Lawson, Joy	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Lierman, Del Brooke	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Moore, Jonathan	Individual	Oral
FAV	Phillips, Bradlobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Shah, Zafar	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Sterrette, Dawana	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Wilson Randall, Claudia	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Woolums, Johnlobbyist	Individual	Written (PDF)
FWA	Connelly, Valerielobbyist	Choptank Electric Cooperative	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Ogunlegan, Adeyinka	Comcast	Oral
FWA	Boucher, Kathleen	Montgomery County, MD	Written (PDF)
FWA	Britt, Adiena	N/A	Written (PDF)
FWA	Davis, Charlotte	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)

Showing 60 of 64

Organizations on record

1199SEIUFAV 1

AARP MarylandFAV 1

ACLU-MDFAV 1

AFSCME MarylandFAV 1

Baltimore Community FoundationFAV 1

Baltimore Teachers UnionFAV 1

Behavioral Health System BaltimoreFAV 1

Catholic Charities of BaltimoreFAV 1

Choptank Electric CooperativeFWA 1

clb advising, llc and Even' Star FarmFAV 1

ComcastFWA 1

Compass Government Relations PartnersFAV 1

Comptroller of MarylandFAV 1

Digital Harbor FoundationFAV 1

Dundalk Renaissance CorpFAV 1

Greater Baltimore CommitteeFAV 1

Housing Initiative PartnershipINFO 1

JOTFFAV 1

Kennedy Krieger InstituteFAV 1

Libraries Without BordersFAV 1

Maryland Alliance of Public Charter SchoolsFAV 1

Maryland Association of Counties (MACo)FAV 1

Maryland Department of Housing and Community DevelopmentINFO 1

Maryland Hospital AssociationFAV 1

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

Maryland Municipal LeagueFAV 1

Maryland Out of School Time NetworkFAV 1

Maryland REALTORSFAV 1

Maryland Rural Health AssociationFAV 1

Maryland State Education AssociationFAV 1

Mayor's Office of Government RelationsFAV 1

MD Catholic ConferenceFAV 1

MD Sierra ClubFAV 1

Montgomery County, MDFWA 1

N/AFWA 1

Prince George's County ExecutiveFAV 1

Public Justice CenterFAV 1

Robert W. Deutsch FoundationFAV 1

Schwartz, Metz & Wise, P.A.FAV 1

SmartLogicFAV 1

SOMOSFAV 1

Strong City BaltimoreFAV 1

Strong Future MarylandFAV 1

Strong Schools MarylandFAV 1

Students Organizing a Multicultural and Open Society (SOMOS)FAV 1

The Delivery of Legal Services Section Council for the MSBAFAV 1

University System of MarylandFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVGilmore , DeniseAFSCME MarylandRegistered for: AFSCME Maryland Council 3; AFSCME Council 3

FAVJefferson , StaceyBehavioral Health System BaltimoreRegistered for: Behavioral Health System Baltimore

FAVKlingenmaier, LisaCatholic Charities of BaltimoreRegistered for: Catholic Charities

FAVArneson, EmilyKennedy Krieger InstituteRegistered for: Kennedy Krieger Institute

FAVO'Day, GarrettMD Catholic ConferenceRegistered for: Maryland Catholic Conference

FAVTulkin, JoshMD Sierra ClubRegistered for: Sierra Club Maryland Chapter

FAVDorrien, ErinMaryland Hospital AssociationRegistered for: Maryland Hospital Association

FAVMay, LisaMaryland REALTORSRegistered for: Maryland REALTORS; Maryland Association of Realtors

FAVMehu, NatashaMayor's Office of Government RelationsRegistered for: Maryland Hospital Association; Maryland Patient Care and Access Coalition; Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants; Maryland Academy of Advanced Practice Clinicians; Baltimore Washington Rapid Rail, LLC; Maryland Works, Inc.…

FAVRodwin, DavidPublic Justice CenterRegistered for: Care in Action

FAVWilkerson, AliceStrong Future MarylandRegistered for: Advance Maryland

FAVGardiner, ShamoyiaStrong Schools MarylandRegistered for: Strong Schools Maryland, care of The Fund for Educational Excellence

FAVSiri, MichelleThe Delivery of Legal Services Section Council for the MSBARegistered for: Maryland Legal Services Corporation; Women's Law Center of Maryland, Inc.

FAVPhillips, BradRegistered for: Maryland Association of Community Colleges

FAVWoolums, JohnRegistered for: Maryland Association of Boards of Education

FWAConnelly, ValerieChoptank Electric CooperativeRegistered for: Choptank Electric Cooperative, Inc.