Sec. 2. Streamlining duplicative broadband authorities
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Section 601 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 ( 7 U.S.C. 950bb ) is amended— in the section heading, by striking and inserting ACCESS TO BROADBAND TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES IN RURAL AREAS ; ReConnect Rural Broadband Program by striking subsection
(a)and inserting the following: The Secretary shall establish a program, which shall be known as the ReConnect Rural Broadband Program , to provide grants, loans, and loan guarantees to finance the costs of the construction, improvement, and acquisition of facilities and equipment for broadband service in rural areas. ; in subsection (b), by striking paragraph
(2)and redesignating paragraph
(3)as paragraph (2); in subsection (c)— by striking paragraph
(2)and inserting the following: In providing assistance under this section the Secretary shall— give the highest priority to applications for projects to provide broadband service to unserved rural communities that do not have any residential broadband service of at least— a 10-Mbps downstream transmission capacity; and a 1-Mbps upstream transmission capacity; give priority to applicants for projects which propose to serve communities— with a population of less than 10,000 permanent residents; that are experiencing outmigration and have adopted a strategic community investment plan under section 379H(d) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act that includes considerations for improving and expanding broadband service; with a high percentage of low income families or persons (as defined in section 501(b) of the Housing Act of 1949 ( 42 U.S.C. 1471(b) ); or that are isolated from other significant population centers. After giving priority to the applications described in subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall then give priority to applications for projects which propose to provide— the maximum level of broadband service to the greatest proportion of rural premises in the proposed service area identified in the application; rapid and expanded deployment of fixed and mobile broadband on cropland and ranchland within a service territory that is not supported by funds from the 5G Fund for Rural America established by the Federal Communications Commission in the Report and Order in the matter of Establishing a 5G Fund for Rural America (FCC 20–150; adopted October 27, 2020), for use in various applications of precision agriculture. The Secretary shall further prioritize projects based on the number of community stakeholders served, including— State, local, and tribal government entities; nonprofit institutions; community anchor institutions, such as— public libraries; elementary schools and secondary schools (as defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7801 )); institutions of higher education; health care facilities; or other essential community facilities; rural businesses; or philanthropic organizations. In implementing this section, the Secretary shall— provide equal consideration to all eligible entities, including those that have not previously received assistance under this title; and with respect to 2 or more applications that are given the same priority under this paragraph, give priority to an application that is proposing to serve the highest number of households without sufficient broadband service. ; and in paragraph (3)— by striking and inserting Grant amounts ; and Additional requirements for grant awards by striking subparagraph
(E)and inserting the following: The Secretary shall establish an application process that permits an application for a grant-only award. The Secretary shall establish an application process that permits— a single application for a grant and a loan under title I or II, or this title, that is associated with the grant; and provides a single decision to award the grant and the loan. ; in subsection (d)— in paragraph (2)— in subparagraph (A)— by striking subparagraphs
(B)and
(C)and inserting subparagraph
(B); by striking submitted— and all that follows through
(i)and inserting submitted ; and by striking ; and and all that follows through providers ; and by striking subparagraph (C); and in paragraph (3)(B)(iii), by striking subclause
(II)and inserting the following: demonstrated on the maps required to be created under section 802(c) of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 642(c) ), if address level data is available. ; and by striking subsection
(j)and inserting the following: There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section, to remain available until expended— $350,000,000 for fiscal year 2021; $3,500,000,000 for fiscal year 2022; and $3,500,000,000 for fiscal year 2023. . The authorities provided by section 779 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 ( Public Law 115–141 ) shall have no force or effect after June 30, 2022. Not more than 1 percent of the unobligated balances of amounts made available as of June 1, 2021, to carry out the pilot program described in section 779 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 ( Public Law 115–141 ) may be used for the costs of transitioning from the pilot program to the program under section 601 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, as amended by this Act. The unobligated balances of all amounts made available on or before June 30, 2022, to carry out the pilot program described in section 779 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 ( Public Law 115–141 ) that are in excess of the amount described in subparagraph
(B)of this paragraph are hereby transferred to and merged with amounts made available to carry out the program authorized under section 601 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936. The amount described in this subparagraph is the amount required to fully fund each project approved as of June 30, 2022, under the pilot program described in such section 779 for which amounts were not obligated or partially obligated as of such date.
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Sec. 2
Streamlining duplicative broadband authorities
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