H 4943  Joint Resolution, By Sandifer, Spires, Forrester, Stavrinakis, Jefferson, 
Erickson, Willis, Johnson, McCoy, Ridgeway, Hardee, Mack, Simrill, Hewitt, 
Bailey, Allison, Ott, Clary, Forrest, Kimmons, Lowe, B.Newton, Hixon, W.Newton and 
Taylor
 A JOINT RESOLUTION TO CREATE THE SOUTH CAROLINA RURAL COMMUNICATIONS
 INFRASTRUCTURE STUDY COMMITTEE TO ADDRESS ACCESS TO COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES,
 INCLUDING BROADBAND, INTERNET, VOICE, AND CELLULAR.
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   01/15/20  House  Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 74)
   01/15/20  House  Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and
                     Industry (House Journal-page 74)
   01/16/20  House  Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Hixon,
                     W.Newton, Taylor

TO CREATE THE SOUTH CAROLINA RURAL COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE STUDY COMMITTEE TO ADDRESS ACCESS TO COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES, INCLUDING BROADBAND, INTERNET, VOICE, AND CELLULAR.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    (A)    There is created the South Carolina Rural Communications Infrastructure Study Committee to address access to communications services, including broadband, Internet, voice, and cellular for rural communities and to make recommendations to the General Assembly concerning increased access to communications services for rural communities.

    (B)(1)    The committee must be comprised of:

            (a)    the President of the Senate, or his designee;

            (b)    the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or his designee;

            (c)    the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, or his designee;

            (d)    the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, or his designee;

            (e)    the Chairman of the Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee, or his designee;

            (f)    the Chairman of the House Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee, or his designee;

            (g)    the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, or his designee; and

            (h)    the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, or his designee.

        (2)    Designees chosen to serve on the committee must be current members of the General Assembly.

    (C)    When examining solutions to resolve shortfalls in communications infrastructure in rural communities, the committee shall examine fully the utilization of state and federal funding mechanisms including, but not limited to, the Universal Service Fund and the Life Line Fund.

    (D)    The committee shall issue a report of its findings to the General Assembly by January 1, 2021, at which time the committee is dissolved. Members of the study committee shall serve without mileage, per diem, or subsistence.

    (E)    Administrative assistance, as needed, must be provided by the appropriate legislative committee staff.

SECTION    2.    This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.