In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation to clarify how prevailing wage requirements will be applied to broadband infrastructure development projects.
 
Although federal broadband development dollars have the potential to connect large numbers of Pennsylvanians in rural areas to high-speed broadband internet service, the Department of Labor and Industry has enforced the Prevailing Wage Act in a manner that will reduce the impact of these federal dollars.
 
It is critical that we use these federal dollars to maximize the build out of our broadband infrastructure. Not only will this mean improved access to the commercial, educational, and government services we typically think of when discussing this issue, it will also mean improving the access of rural Pennsylvanians to vital telehealth services.
 
Given what is at stake, it is important to understand how the Department's approach will lead to less broadband development. Broadband infrastructure is inherently different from electric line construction, yet the Department has refused a request to create teledata specific job classifications and wage rates for the work that is involved in broadband infrastructure construction. Instead, they are relying on the "electric lineman" classification to classify many of the key workers on these broadband infrastructure projects.
 
Electric linemen do highly skilled and potentially dangerous work – and they are paid accordingly – but when their wage rates are applied inappropriately to teledata workers, it means labor costs on broadband infrastructure projects will be artificially inflated. Ultimately, this means fewer Pennsylvanians will gain access to high-speed broadband internet through the federal funding allocated to Pennsylvania. 
 
To be clear, this legislation will not exempt these projects from prevailing wage requirements. This legislation will simply clarify that the Department will create teledata specific job classifications for broadband development projects funded through the PA Broadband Development Authority, so workers on these projects can be paid prevailing minimum wages based on the work they actually do.
 
Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation, so we can use these federal dollars to connect more rural Pennsylvanians to high-speed broadband internet.