Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Expanding Rural Access to Broadband Act”.
Expanding Rural Access to Broadband Act
A BILL
To prohibit the Rural Utilities Service from providing assistance for the provision of broadband service with a download speed of less than 25 megabits per second or an upload speed of less than 3 megabits per second, and clarify the broadband loan and loan guarantee authority provided in section 601 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Required minimum speed of broadband Internet access service for Rural Utilities Service broadband Internet access service deployment assistance programs
Prohibition— The Rural Utilities Service may not, under section 601 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, the Community Connect Broadband Grant Program, the Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee Program, or the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program, provide assistance for the provision of broadband service (as defined in section 601(b)(1) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936) with a download speed of less than 25 megabits per second or an upload speed of less than 3 megabits per second.
Conforming amendments— Section 601(e)(1) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb(e)(1)) is amended—
in subparagraph (A), by striking “4” and inserting “25”; and
in subparagraph (B), by striking “1” and inserting “3”.
Sec. 3 Clarification of broadband loan and loan guarantee authority
Section 601(c)(1) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb(c)(1)) is amended by striking “make or guarantee loans” and inserting “shall make loans and shall guarantee loans”.
Sec. 4 Report
Within 12 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service (in this section referred to as the “RUS”) shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a written report on the effectiveness of RUS loan and loan guarantee programs for the purpose of expanding broadband to rural areas (as defined in RUS regulations), which shall—
identify administrative and legislative options for incentivizing private investment by utilizing RUS loan guarantee programs for the purpose of expanding broadband to rural areas;
evaluate the existing borrower and lending guidelines for RUS loan and loan guarantee applicants to incentivize participation in both programs; and
evaluate the loan and loan guarantee application processes for lenders and borrowers by eliminating burdensome and unnecessary steps in the application process and providing a more streamlined process to decrease the complexity of the application and the timeline from application to approval or denial.