S.B. 487                                                  VETOES

(16)   the Maryland Association of Counties;

(17)   the Maryland Rural Health Association;

(18)   organizations representing schools, libraries, colleges, universities,
and high technology councils; and

(19)   any other group, organization, or person, as determined by the
Chairman of the Task Force.

(h) The Task Force shall:

(1)     shall consider developments and best practices in regions of the
country where broadband communications is being deployed for are being deployed in
rural communities, the broadband networking infrastructure in those areas, and the
direct and indirect benefits and costs associated with the networks;

(2)     after considering existing State and regional broadband
communications assessments and information that may become available during the
deliberations of the Task Force, shall evaluate:

(i) the resources, infrastructure, and cost structures now in place
or available in the various rural regions of the State for developing or accessing
obtaining access to broadband communications;

(ii) the feasibility of using existing or alternative legal mechanisms
and infrastructure to support the economical development of broadband
communications in rural areas of the State;

(iii) the utility of several applications where broadband
communications would be beneficial to benefit rural areas, such as applications
relating to agriculture, medicine, and education; and

(iv) other matters that the Task Force considers pertinent to
establishing effective broadband communications in the rural areas of the State;

(3)     shall encourage the development of specific goals for the State in the
deployment of broadband communications in rural areas, including:

(i) the development of economically competitive access to
broadband communications by the public and private sectors in each rural region of
the State;

(ii) the availability of broadband communications access
throughout the rural areas of the State to address issues of universal service in
unserved and underserved communities;

(iii) the development and expansion of practical applications for the
enhancement of economic development, and other public benefits;

(iv) the development of affinities and interconnection among the
governmental units in the State, educational institutions, and private industry; and

- 3378 -