State

NGA asks governors to prioritize broadband, infrastructure, permitting in coming fiscal year

Broadband is among the priorities recommended to governors for the coming fiscal year.

By Colin Wood

July 28, 2025

Listen to this article

0:00

This feature uses an automated voice, which may result in occasional errors in pronunciation, tone, or sentiment.

(Getty Images)

An economic development and “revitalization” task force inside the National Governors Association on Saturday asked its membership to prioritize a list of 11 policy areas for fiscal year 2026.

Broadband was among the policies the group asked its members to prioritize, noting the important role that “reliable and accessible internet connectivity plays in bridging the digital divide in our communities.”

“Internet access is essential for telehealth, accessing education and workforce development programs, and connecting the 21st century economy,” an NGA press release reads. “We strongly support the flexibility of federal programs to achieve the diverse needs of states as they deploy broadband capabilities.”

States’ biggest source of funding for broadband expansion, a $45 billion tranche of funding called BEAD, is in flux after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick last month announced he’d reworked the program, by removing “burdensome” Biden-era requirements and “woke mandates,” and asked states to resubmit their proposals.

According to NGA’s announcement, the association relies on three task forces to make recommendations to its membership. In addition to a task force focused on economic development, there is also a group for education, workforce and community investment, and another for public health and disaster response.

The economic development task force also named surface transportation funding, transportation grant programs, highway trust fund solvency and water infrastructure as being among the top priorities governors should pursue as they look ahead to their states’ appropriations processes. The task force also recommended governors set aside funds for streamlining their permitting processes, an upgrade that commonly includes technology upgrades.