Legislative Services

The National Association of Counties shared the following update on broadband developments in Texas, including the launch of the BEAD infrastructure funding application process and the nationwide cancellation of Digital Equity Act grants:

The Texas Broadband Development Office has announced the availability of over $3.8 billion in state and federal funds under the state’s Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

• Application: The Texas BEAD Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) is published on the Electronic State Business Daily.
• Questions About Application: Potential applicants may submit questions about the NOFA until 2 p.m. on May 29, 2025. The BDO will provide responses and may make any necessary updates to the solicitation through the addendum process. All questions must be submitted using the Question Intake Form before the deadline.
• Additional Guidance is on the Subgrantee Selection registration page.
• Technical Support is available Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, through the BEAD helpline at 855-TEX-BEAD (855-839-2323) or by emailing the BEAD helpdesk.
• Webinar: To ensure potential applicants are prepared, the BDO hosted an eight-part webinar series. All webinar recordings are available on the BDO webpage.

**Please be advised that the BDO can only address technical questions. Any inquiries related to the BEAD Application should be submitted during the designated question and answer period following the release of the BEAD NOFA.

Digital Equity Act Grants Canceled for All States

On Friday, May 9, 2025, the Trump Administration began notifying states that their Digital Equity Act Capacity Grant funds were terminated. The day prior, President Donald Trump shared via Truth Social that he and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are determined to bring an end to the Digital Equity Act and its “unconstitutional” and “illegal” programs.

In 2021, Congress included the Digital Equity Act in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to give U.S. states, territories, and Tribal entities the tools they need to help people get online and use the internet. These governments have completed their plans and, until May 9th, were preparing to implement programs to improve digital literacy, access to affordable internet-connected devices, provide technical support, and increase awareness of privacy and cybersecurity ...

And many millions have not adopted broadband because they lack the skills and/or devices to do so. The Digital Equity Act primarily aims to address these issues around broadband adoption. Continue reading.

How This Will Impact Communities?

The termination of the Digital Equity Act grant programs will have an adverse impact on county plans to achieve increased broadband adoption across communities. In many states, counties have served as key stakeholders in assisting their state with the development of digital equity action plans that were funded under the Digital Equity Act. Counties may have also been direct recipients of state grant opportunities ... Finally, counties may have also been applicants and prospective recipients of direct funding under the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program, which offered a direct grant program for counties to implement digital equity strategies at the local level to meet need and increase adoption to high-speed broadband connectivity across communities. Continue reading.