---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 19174"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "19174"
heading: "NIST engagement with rural communities"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/19174"
units:
  - "Chapter 163 — Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation"
  - "Subchapter V — Broadening Participation in Science"
  - "Part B — Rural STEM Education Research"
---

# §19174. NIST engagement with rural communities

- (a) **Prize competition—** Pursuant to [section 3719 of title 15](/usc/15/3719.md), the [Secretary](/usc/42/19291.md?p=8) of Commerce shall carry out a program to award prizes competitively to stimulate research and development of creative technologies to support the deployment of affordable and reliable broadband connectivity in rural communities, including unserved rural communities.
- (b) **Plan for deployment in rural communities—** Each proposal submitted pursuant to [subsection (a)](#a) shall include a proposed plan for deployment of the technology that is the subject of such proposal.
- (c) **Prize amount—** In carrying out the program under [subsection (a)](#a), the [Secretary](/usc/42/19291.md?p=8) may award not more than a total of $5,000,000 to one or more winners of the prize competition.
- (d) **Report—** Not later than 60 days after the date on which a prize is awarded under the prize competition, the [Secretary](/usc/42/19291.md?p=8) shall submit to the relevant committees of Congress a report that describes the winning proposal of the prize competition.
- (e) **Consultation—** In carrying out the program under this section, the [Secretary](/usc/42/19291.md?p=8) shall consult with the Federal Communications Commission and the heads of relevant [departments](/usc/42/19291.md?p=2) and [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) of the Federal Government.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title V, § 10516, Aug. 9, 2022, 136 Stat. 1619.)