Interest Form for GMA-FEMA Roundtable
GMA is working with the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to arrange a meeting with officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for cities with outstanding reimbursements related to Hurricane Helene, specifically for debris removal and disposal. During the meeting, city officials will have the chance to discuss their funding situation with FEMA officials with the purpose of finding a solution. If your city is interested in participating in the meeting, please fill out this form. GMA will follow up with you once we have formalized the event details. Only cities that have not been repaid for expenses incurred from Hurricane Helene will be invited to participate.
Updated BEAD Guidance
On Friday, June 6, the National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA) released long-awaited guidance for the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) program through which the State of Georgia received $1.3 billion. Every state was awarded BEAD funding back in 2021 to build out broadband networks and bring high-speed internet to all serviceable locations. To date, not a dollar has been expended nor a shovel placed in the ground nationwide. Contributing to delays were requirements for states to develop detailed, iterative action plans that outlined how they would subgrant funding out to internet service providers. The Georgia Technology Authority (GTA), which administers the BEAD program in Georgia, ran an application cycle from late 2024 through January 2025 to solicit applications from internet service providers.
The latest NTIA policy notice addresses criticisms over extreme delays through several procedural and substantive changes to BEAD, including:
- Removal of a “fiber-first” preference and shift to a tech-neutral approach;
- Scaled-back requirements to adhere to labor standards, build resilience strategies, and ensure middle-class affordability and low-cost plan offerings;
- Streamlined environmental permitting requirements;
- Narrowed definition of community anchor institutions, i.e. schools, libraries, and hospitals; and
- Limitations on use of residual funds for “non-deployment activities,” i.e. activities that could aid in the adoption, accessibility and usage of internet services.
Last but not least, the notice calls for the opening of an additional “Benefit of the Bargain Round” of applications along with the rescission of preliminary and provisional subaward selections. Now, GTA has 90 days to revise its proposal to align with the policy notice. GMA is hopeful that NTIA’s approach is “one step back, two steps forward,” requiring further proposal review but ultimately advancing implementation of BEAD dollars with minimum regulations.
Preserving Local Control Over AI
The budget reconciliation process to advance a package of tax, energy, and defense policies has now reached the Senate in the form of the “One, Big Beautiful Bill.” One proposal in the 1100-page long bill would restrict state and local governments from regulating artificial intelligence for at least 10 years. Due to the rapid and ongoing evolution of AI and its applications, this proposal has raised concerns including from cities where data centers are cropping up. City officials are still weighing the economic and environmental implications of data centers, which support ever growing digital demands but also consume large amounts of energy and water.
Instead of a blanket AI moratorium, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee offered up an alternative proposal that would instead withhold broadband funding from states that do choose to regulate AI. Either proposal ties the hands of local officials to decide what is best for their communities. Cities, especially those coming up against data center developments and the deployment of AI in other ways, should share concerns with members of Congress and ask that they preserve local decision-making, which this legislation would undermine.