House committee adopts technical and scope amendments to HF 2279, lays bill over for possible inclusion

A Minnesota House committee on a bill about broadband and digital inclusion adopted two author amendments and laid House File 2279 over for possible inclusion in a future bill.

Rep. Griffin Vang, the bill's author, moved adoption of the A1 amendment, described as a technical correction identified by nonpartisan staff, and the A2 amendment, which renames the Office of Broadband to include “digital opportunity,” aligns state terminology with federal digital opportunity plans and removes policy language that would have established a new grant program. Both amendments were adopted by voice vote and the bill as amended was laid over.

The bill, as explained by Vang and by testifiers from Hennepin County, would broaden the office's mission beyond infrastructure to include adoption, affordability and digital skills. "This bill seeks to address some of the concerns and reflects the expanded mission of the program," Vang said, adding that the changes would…