Trent Ashby, Texas State Representative from the 9th district | Facebook
Trent Ashby, Texas State Representative from the 9th district | Facebook
More specifically, the official text was summarized by the state legislature as ’’Relating to increasing access to and reducing taxation of Internet services’’.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
This bill seeks to enhance access to broadband Internet services by amending various sections of the Texas Government Code and Tax Code. It requires the comptroller to publish annual statistics on broadband-related applications and financial distributions. The bill defines broadband service based on specified speed and latency metrics and mandates the creation of a state map categorizing locations by broadband service availability. The broadband development office is tasked with awarding grants, low-interest loans, and other financial incentives for projects that expand broadband access, especially in unserved and underserved regions, prioritizing schools and community institutions. It also clarifies that certain grants qualify as non-taxable incentives and repeals previous provisions related to Internet service taxation. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, or Sept. 1, 2025, if not passed with a two-thirds legislative majority.
Trent Ashby, chair of the House Committee on S/C on Academic & Career-Oriented Education and member of the House Committee on Public Education, proposed one other bill during the 89(R) legislative session.
Ashby graduated from Texas A&M University in 1996 with a BA.
Trent Ashby is currently serving in the Texas State House, representing the state's 9th House district. He replaced previous state representative Chris Paddie in 2023.
Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| HB 2553 | 03/17/2025 | Relating to certain ad valorem tax-related studies conducted by the comptroller of public accounts |
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