Rural Broadband Assistance Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3125 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3125

  To amend the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to provide technical 
 assistance to expand access to broadband service in rural communities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 30, 2025

  Mr. Taylor (for himself and Mr. Sorensen) introduced the following 
   bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in 
 addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to provide technical 
 assistance to expand access to broadband service in rural communities.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Broadband Assistance Act''.

SEC. 2. PUBLIC NOTICE, ASSESSMENTS, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND REPORTING 
              REQUIREMENTS.

    Section 701 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 
950cc) is amended--
            (1) in the section heading, by inserting ``technical 
        assistance,'' before ``and''; and
            (2) by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following:
    ``(e) Broadband Technical Assistance Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall make grants to 
        private, nonprofit, or public organizations to provide or 
        receive eligible entities broadband technical assistance and 
        training to expand access to broadband service in rural 
        communities through the broadband programs of the Department of 
        Agriculture including--
                    ``(A) preparing applications for grants, loans and 
                loan guarantees under this section;
                    ``(B) identifying resources to finance broadband 
                facilities from public and private sources, including 
                other Federal agencies;
                    ``(C) preparing feasibility studies, financial 
                forecasts, market surveys, environmental studies, and 
                technical design information to support broadband 
                services;
                    ``(D) preparing reports and surveys necessary to 
                support the need for broadband services, the price 
                range, and request financial assistance;
                    ``(E) analyzing and improving operation related to 
                the management, including financial management, of 
                broadband facilities and to the efficiency of the 
                entity;
                    ``(F) collecting broadband infrastructure data; or
                    ``(G) assisting with other areas of need identified 
                by the Secretary.
            ``(2) Eligible entities.--To be eligible to obtain 
        assistance under this subsection, an entity shall be--
                    ``(A) a federally recognized Tribe or Tribal 
                entity;
                    ``(B) a State or local government, including any 
                agency, subdivision, instrumentality, or political 
                subdivision thereof;
                    ``(C) a territory or possession of the United 
                States;
                    ``(D) an institution of higher education (including 
                a 1862 Land-Grant Institution, 1890 Land-Grant 
                Institution, 1994 Land-Grant Institution, Hispanic-
                Serving Institution, or Historically Black College or 
                University);
                    ``(E) a nonprofit organization described in section 
                501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;
                    ``(F) a cooperative or mutual organization;
                    ``(G) a corporation; or
                    ``(H) a limited liability company or limited 
                liability partnership.
            ``(3) Selection priority.--In selecting recipients of 
        grants under this paragraph, the Secretary shall give priority 
        to organizations that have experience in providing technical 
        assistance and training to rural entities.
            ``(4) National applications.--The Secretary shall allow 
        applications for grants under this paragraph from qualified 
        organizations for the sole purpose of providing on-site 
        community technical assistance and training on a national or 
        multi-State regional basis.''.
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