The Veterans Affairs Department is checking if California’s net neutrality law “impacts the partnerships VA has developed with cellular carriers to assist Veterans with limited data plans connect with their healthcare services,” a spokesperson said Thursday: VA is communicating with California to make sure veterans aren’t “unintentionally impacted in California and elsewhere.” A report said some VA officials raised concerns. Gov. Gavin Newsom's office (D) didn’t comment. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr tweeted Wednesday, "Cutting off free mental health services for veterans is the unconscionable outcome demanded by regressive ‘net neutrality’ laws."

A Washington state Senate committee cleared the House’s muni broadband bill (HB-1336) at a livestreamed meeting Thursday, despite multiple members describing their ayes as reluctant. Seven members of the Technology Committee voted yes, two voted to move the bill along “without recommendation,” and three voted no. The panel adopted an amendment by Sen. Shelly Short (R) to add increasing broadband access to a list of statutory reasons why a locality could receive financial assistance. The committee rejected other amendments by Republicans who said they wanted to stop cross-subsidization, focus funds on unserved areas and keep the playing field level with private providers. Chairman Reuven Carlyle (D) seeks a more strategic approach but voted without recommendation to clear the bill. Sen. Lisa Wellman (D), who has a rival plan (SB-5383) with more constraints on public utility districts (PUDs) providing broadband, said she voted yes without recommendation in hopes the bill can be sharpened, including focusing on unserved areas. Wellman’s bill is a more “measured, practical approach,” said Sen. Steve Hobbs (D), though he voted yes on HB-1336. Sen. Tim Sheldon (D), a former PUD commissioner, said he’s an “enthusiastic yes” and thinks the bill can be melded with Wellman’s. Lawmakers shouldn't take lightly allowing public providers into retail broadband, said Short. HB-1336 turns broadband into a public utility, which probably will reduce private investment, ranking member Doug Ericksen (R) warned: “That’s a big decision.” The House Community and Economic Development Committee has a vote scheduled Friday on SB-5383.

Colorado Senate President Pro Tempore Kerry Donovan (D) received threats on social media for her proposal to stop hate speech on those platforms, she told a Senate State Committee livestreamed hearing: "This bill is a new idea in an uncomfortable space.” The committee voted 3-2 Tuesday to adopt the bill with an amendment proposed by Donovan to order a study. The original bill (SB-132) would have created a digital communications division and commission to regulate social media platforms. "The division shall investigate and the commission may hold hearings on claims filed with the division alleging that a digital communications platform has allowed a person to engage in one or more unfair or discriminatory digital communications practices on the platform," including hate speech, intentional disinformation and conspiracy theories, it said. Social media companies have been "petulant children" for not acknowledging what happens on their platforms, said Donovan, author of Colorado's 2019 net neutrality law. Their business model is to keep people engaged online and gather their information, she said. "What we are seeing from these social media companies is not a bug." The Senate leader added, "Russia didn't hack Facebook. It just used the platform.” The Internet Association didn't comment Wednesday. Government should “step in and bring an ax down to start protecting consumers,” testified Joe Toscano, a former Google consultant. “We are not their customer. We are their product.” The Computer and Communications Industry Association worried "that Colorado is one of multiple states proposing a patchwork of contradictory regulations. Complying with these would be difficult and costly for all platforms, particularly so for smaller companies." CCIA supports "the decision to study consumer protection concerns related to digital communications platforms," said President Matt Schruers Wednesday. "We encourage the study committee to consult with industry and issue area experts.”

A Tennessee Senate panel delayed weighing a broadband bill to let municipal energy authorities provide internet service outside their service area under certain conditions. The Commerce Committee decided to study the bill (SB-580) this summer rather than vote on it after Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R) suggested at Tuesday's livestreamed meeting that legislators “wait and see” what happens with expected federal and state broadband money. Sponsor Sen. Rusty Crowe (R) suggested further study so the legislature might weigh it next session.

Industry and state officials raised concern about a Maine broadband bill to increase the definition of unserved to areas with speeds less than 100 Mbps symmetrical. The standard is 25/3 Mbps, but user speed tests show many in so-called served areas lack those speeds, said LD-83 sponsor Rep. Walter Riseman (I) at the bicameral Joint Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee’s livestreamed hearing Tuesday. “The status quo is not acceptable,” he said. Telecom Association of Maine (TAM) counsel Benjamin Sanborn said 25/3 Mbps is “baseline” and “not ideal,” but he suggested focusing public dollars on getting everyone to that minimum level first. Companies usually build to much faster speeds, he said. The TAM official questioned the accuracy of user speed tests. Chairman Seth Berry (D) noted the alternative is relying on industry data that treats a census tract as unserved even if only one house is served. That’s a problem in every state, replied Sanborn, adding that Congress recently passed a law to improve maps. Changing to a 100/100 Mbps standard, as proposed in LD-83, would render nearly the entire state unserved, protested Charter Communications Regional Senior Director Melinda Kinney. The cable operator sells residential plans up to 1 Gbps download, but none has an upload speed that high, nor do consumers need that for common activities, she said. Rep. Nicole Grohoski (D) challenged Kinney, asking if people might find use for higher uploads if they were available. Maine Public Advocate Barry Hobbins shared Kinney’s concern about raising the standard to 100 Mbps symmetrical, saying that could hurt rural places because buildout historically happens in the densest areas first. Solving broadband problems takes money, "not a definition change,” said ConnectMaine Authority Chair Nick Battista. Updating unserved’s meaning through legislation is too slow, he said. The FCC should redefine broadband because it’s tough for states to leap without national support, said Peggy Schaffer, the authority’s executive director.

A Florida Senate committee rejected an attempt to remove a private right of action from a comprehensive privacy bill (SB-1734). The committee killed that proposed amendment by Sen. Annette Taddeo (D) in a voice vote at a livestreamed Monday hearing. The committee then cleared the bill. Taddeo said the provision is overbroad; sponsor Sen. Jennifer Bradley (R) said it's critical to enforcement. Companies are making money on consumers’ lack of information about how their data is being used, Bradley said. The bill "pulls the curtain back on that industry” and shifts power back to consumers, she said.

The Wisconsin Public Service commission awarded $28.4 million for 58 broadband projects in unserved and underserved areas, it said Friday. The commission funded 49 fiber-to-the-premises, one fiber middle-mile, six fixed wireless and two cable projects.

New York state will provide free internet access to 50,000 students in low-income school districts, using AT&T hot spots and data plans, from May 2021 through June 2022, said Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and the Reimagine New York Commission Friday. The Ford Foundation and Google ex-CEO Eric Schmidt’s Schmidt Futures will fund ConnectED NY, the governor’s office said.

A Washington state bill to implement national 988 got support from Senate Behavioral Health Subcommittee Chair Manka Dhingra (D) at a Friday hearing. The panel heard virtual testimony on HB-1477 after the House passed the measure 78-18 Wednesday. Dhingra said the bill is “very important” and she's pleased it got bipartisan support in the other chamber. Sponsor Rep. Tina Orwall (D) said it could have more impact reducing suicide rates than any previous bills she has endorsed. HB-1477 “will help save lives,” testified Washington Department of Health’s Daisye Orr. The latest version would impose a 30 cent monthly fee on wireless, wireline and VoIP lines starting Oct. 1, increasing to 50 cents Jan. 1, 2023. CTIA supports designating 988 but is concerned the amount is too high, especially combined with other bill taxes, said Vice President-State Legislative Affairs Gerry Keegan. The fee could be reduced by narrowing what it covers to direct costs of 988 call routing and taking and call center personnel, he said. “This requires money, and it requires effort,” said Abraham Dairi, whose wife died by suicide last year. Calling 911 is ineffective and can damage potential suicide victims more, he said: “People are dying, and we're failing them every single day.” The subcommittee is scheduled to vote March 26.

Frontier Communications expects to exit bankruptcy once it reaches an “acceptable resolution” with the California Public Utilities Commission on an eleventh-hour revision to the agency's conditional OK, a Frontier spokesperson said Friday: Commissioners Thursday “voted to approve Frontier’s emergence from Chapter 11 but included a provision in the approval order that was recognized as problematic by all settling parties.” Frontier, Communications Workers of America, The Utility Reform Network and CPUC Public Advocates Office filed a joint notice of rejection hours after the CPUC voted 5-0 to adopt a revised order clearing the deal, as expected (see 2103180064). The CPUC should resolve the issue at this Thursday’s meeting, the parties said. “Time is of the essence to permit Frontier to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy by March 30, 2020.” The parties object to revising the requirement that the company build fiber-to-the-premise to 150,000 locations to specify that those locations should be only in places where the telco is the only service provider, with at least 10% in rural areas: “Ordering Paragraph 4(o)(i) would add a material condition not contemplated by the Parties’ Settlement Agreement.” Revised terms aren’t “supported by the record, are not feasible, would add substantial incremental costs to Frontier’s $1.75 billion capital expenditure commitment ... and would upset the balance achieved by the Parties’ Settlement Agreement by limiting the buildout of fiber facilities to thousands of low income households, communities of color and rural households throughout Frontier’s diverse serving territory merely because they have access to one other broadband option that may or may not meet their needs,” they said. They would support a change saying at least 10% of the planned fiber buildout must be in locations where Frontier is the only fixed broadband internet access service provider. The agency didn’t comment Friday.