Broadband bill passes final House committee

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- A bill that would help students connect to the internet while learning from home is on its way to the house floor.

Senate Bill 144 passed its final house committee Friday morning, and is now waiting to be heard on the House floor.

The bill allows the Public School Capital Outlay Council to use up to $10 million a year to provide grants to schools for improving broadband access to teachers and students, either in the classroom or at home for remote learning.

Federal funds would be available to match the spending.

"The great part about this, if this bill passes, it puts us in line with the matching funds that are going to be important to ensure that our students, whether they be in the northwestern part or New Mexico, southeastern part, regardless of the part of the state that they reside in, to then have the ability to be connected to the internet." said Sen. Pete Camps, who is a sponsor of the bill.