This bill appropriates funding to accomplish the expansion plan passed last session in creating the Broadband Development Office.
House Speaker Dade Phelan said the broadband expansion legislation will be brought before the governor by May.
Governor Abbott laid out five emergency items for the legislature to tackle this legislative session.
Gov. Abbott signed an executive order instructing state agencies to identify potential litigation or other opportunities to prevent federal overreach against the energy industry.
In tandem with the federal government's rural broadband expansion program, Texas legislators have advised Governor Abbott to facilitate the effort with state-crafted policies.
The FCC proposal is designed to assist broadband expansion into more rural, underserved areas and could improve broadband for some 2.7 million Texans.
Over 30 percent of rural Texans are without high-speed broadband internet access in their homes and government-led approaches are dominating the debate.
