10/04/21 Policy & Advocacy Taskforce Meeting

SUMMARY:

The Policy Task Force held its fifth meeting on Oct. 4, 2021, and included representatives from multiple sectors interested in resolving the digital divide in the Los Angeles County region. Taskforce members reviewed the common themes from the previous meeting, received a legislative overview and the CPUC Rulemaking Proceedings and timeline. Included in the information was Commissioner Guzman Aceves’s request for comments to inform the Federal Funding Account by Oct. 29, 2021.

Resources

Discussion

Legislative Update:

  • Assembly Bill 74 was approved on Sept. 30, 2021; additional bills are likely to get signed during the week to align with National Digital Inclusion week.

The task force discussed the importance of developing guiding principles to inform the priority focus for future legislation support or opposition. A jam board captured feedback during and after the meeting. The following are examples of the feedback collected during the session:

What principles should be prioritized as we look to create an advocacy framework?

  • Accessibility, inclusive design

  • Data collection to uplift the voices and needs of unserved and underserved communities

  • Address reducing Algorithm bias

  • Sustainability

  • Uplift unserved and underserved

  • Device accessibility, equity

  • Scalability – not only for a select few

  • Legislation that augments local policies versus legislation that detract from local policies

  • Reducing barriers to broadband adoption

  • Bills that encourage private-public partnerships

  • Technology neutral

  • Commitment from ISP’ to develop, implement, and maintain service to identified communities.

  • Encourage the creation of a Digital Inclusion Chief Officer in the Mayor’s office or at the County Commissioner level.

What criteria should be used to analyze a bill, and what is the best method to educate this group on key legislation?

  • The identification of success metrics and KPIs that identified UPFRONT and set on consensus

  • Connecting with existing programs (e.g., state Medicaid)

  • Identify various entry points for LA DEAL members to tackle the digital divide (e.g., devices, telehealth, infrastructure, etc.) that can guide smaller coalitions/efforts within our group

  • When tracking legislation, identify categories the bills address (unserved versus underserved, subsidies versus infrastructure, devices versus connectivity)

  • Reducing barriers to broadband adoption

  • Diversity of input and stakeholders

  • Support policy that boosts digital skills/digital literacy training programs and additional resources and supports for community-based organizations to eliminate structural barriers to digital equity and allows for communities to sustain and grow their workforce in the digital age

  • Inclusion of training (how to use access and devices safely)

Task Force members may continue to provide feedback through the jam board link or the google form created per members’ request.

The Policy & Advocacy Task Force meets virtually monthly and includes education, health, nonprofit, education, business, city municipalities, and internet service providers. To learn more, visit: ladeal.org/events.

Meeting #6 is scheduled for Nov. 1, 2021.

More About This

Policy & Advocacy Taskforce Objective

Identifying priorities for public policy to permanently eliminate the digital divide

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