H.R. 1838

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1838 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1838

To amend the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to improve access to 
broadband telecommunications services in rural areas, including by 
encouraging the provision of broadband loans and grants to increase 
broadband service in rural ports, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 4, 2025

Ms. Plaskett (for herself and Mr. Moore of Alabama) 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 improve access to 
broadband telecommunications services in rural areas, including by 
encouraging the provision of broadband loans and grants to increase 
broadband service in rural ports, and for other purposes.

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 ``Broadband Internet for Small Ports 
Act''.

SEC. 2. ACCESS TO BROADBAND TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES IN RURAL AREAS.

Section 601 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 
950bb) is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (A)--
(I) in clause (i)--
(aa) by striking ``of at 
least--'' and inserting a 
semicolon; and
(bb) by striking subclauses 
(I) and (II);
(II) in clause (iii), by striking 
``and'' at the end;
(III) in clause (iv), by striking 
the period at the end and inserting ``; 
and''; and
(IV) by adding at the end the 
following:
``(v) give priority to applications for 
projects to provide rapid and expanded 
deployment of fixed and mobile broadband on 
cropland and ranchland within a service 
territory for use in various applications of 
precision agriculture.'';
(ii) in subparagraph (B)--
(I) in clause (i)--
(aa) in subclause (III), by 
inserting ``or'' after the 
semicolon;
(bb) in subclause (IV), by 
striking ``or'' and inserting 
``and''; and
(cc) by striking subclause 
(V); and
(II) in clause (ii)--
(aa) in the matter 
preceding subclause (I), by 
striking ``2'' and inserting 
``1'';
(bb) in subclause (IV), by 
inserting ``and'' after the 
semicolon;
(cc) in subclause (V), by 
striking ``; and'' and 
inserting a period at the end; 
and
(dd) by striking subclause 
(VI); and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) Ports in rural areas priority.--
``(i) Definition of port.--In this 
subparagraph, the term `port' means--
``(I) any port on the navigable 
waters of the United States, including 
territories;
``(II) any harbor, marine terminal, 
or other shore side facility used 
principally for the movement of goods 
on inland waters; and
``(III) any port formed in 
accordance with applicable State or 
territory law.
``(ii) Priority.--In addition to the 
priority given under subparagraph (B), the 
Secretary shall give equal priority to an 
application for a project that would increase 
the availability of broadband service in a port 
in a rural area.
``(D) Identification of unserved communities.--
``(i) In general.--In the case of an 
application given the highest priority under 
subparagraph (A)(i), the Secretary shall 
confirm that each unserved rural community 
identified in the application is eligible for 
funding by--
``(I) conferring with and obtaining 
data from the Chair of the Federal 
Communications Commission and the 
Administrator of the National 
Telecommunications and Information 
Administration with respect to the 
service area proposed in the 
application;
``(II) reviewing any other source 
that is relevant to service data 
validation, as determined by the 
Secretary; and
``(III) performing site-specific 
testing to verify the unavailability of 
any residential broadband service in 
the unserved rural community.
``(ii) Adjustments.--Not less often than 
once every 2 years, the Secretary shall review, 
and may adjust through notice published in the 
Federal Register, the unserved communities 
identified under clause (i).''; and
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking subparagraphs (C) 
and (D) and inserting the following:
``(C) Maximum.--Except as provided in subparagraph 
(D), the amount of any grant made under this section 
shall not exceed 50 percent of the development costs of 
the project for which the grant is provided.
``(D) Secretarial authority to adjust.--The 
Secretary may make grants of up to 75 percent of the 
development costs of the project for which the grant is 
provided to an eligible entity if the Secretary 
determines that the project serves--
``(i) an area of rural households described 
in paragraph (2)(A)(ii); and
``(ii) a rural community described in any 
of subclauses (I) through (IV) of paragraph 
(2)(B)(i).'';
(2) in subsection (d)--
(A) in paragraph (1)--
(i) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
``subsection (j)'' and inserting ``subsection 
(l)''; and
(ii) by adding at the end the following:
``(C) Relation to universal service high-cost 
support.--The Secretary shall communicate with the 
Federal Communications Commission to ensure that any 
grants, loans, or loan guarantees made under this 
section provide a level of service that is not less 
than the level of service provided through universal 
service high-cost support (as defined in section 54.5 
of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any 
successor regulation) provided by the Commission.'';
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (A)--
(I) in clause (i), by striking 
``50'' and inserting ``90''; and
(II) in clause (ii), by striking 
``3'' and inserting ``2''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(6) Application process.--The Secretary shall provide to 
an applicant of a grant, loan, or loan guarantee under this 
section feedback and decisions on funding in a timely 
manner.'';
(3) by redesignating subsections (j) and (k) as subsections 
(l) and (m), respectively;
(4) by inserting after subsection (i) the following:
``(j) Broadband Buildout Data.--As a condition of receiving a 
grant, loan, or loan guarantee under this section, a recipient of 
assistance shall provide to the Secretary complete, reliable, and 
precise geolocation information that indicates the location of new 
broadband service that is being provided or upgraded within the service 
territory supported by the grant, loan, or loan guarantee not later 
than 30 days after the earlier of--
``(1) the date of completion of any project milestone 
established by the Secretary; or
``(2) the date of completion of the project.
``(k) Environmental Reviews.--The Secretary may obligate, but not 
disperse, funds under this Act before the completion of otherwise 
required environmental, historical, or other types of reviews if the 
Secretary determines that a subsequent site-specific review shall be 
adequate and easily accomplished for the location of towers, poles, or 
other broadband facilities in the service area of the borrower without 
compromising the project or the required reviews.''; and
(5) in subsection (l)(2)(A) (as so redesignated)--
(A) in clause (i), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(B) in clause (ii), by striking the period at the 
end and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(iii) set aside at least 1 percent to be 
used for--
``(I) conducting oversight under 
this section; and
``(II) implementing accountability 
measures and related activities 
authorized under this section.''.
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