Rural Broadband Infrastructure Investment Act

Summary: Rural Broadband Infrastructure Investment Act  This bill amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to authorize the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide additional loans and grants for the development of telecommunications and broadband services in rural areas.  USDA may give preference to loan applications for projects that support the development of telecommunications services in rural areas on a multijurisdictional basis.  In evaluating applications, USDA must consider whether:    the project was developed through the collaboration and participation of multiple stakeholders in the service area;  the applicant understands the regional resources that could support the project, including natural resources, human resources, infrastructure, and financial resources; and  the project has clear objectives and a means to establish performance measures.   For the purpose of loans, loan guarantees, and grants, a rural area is any area of the United States not included within the boundaries of any incorporated or unincorporated city, village, or borough having a population in excess of 20,000 inhabitants.  USDA may provide grants, in addition to loans and loan guarantees permitted under current law, for the construction, improvement, and acquisition of facilities and equipment for broadband service in rural areas. In providing loans, loan guarantees, and grants, USDA may give priority to multijurisdictional projects for the development of broadband service in rural areas that are developed through the collaboration and participation of multiple stakeholders in the service area. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

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

SEC. 2. RURAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVELOPMENT.

    (a) In General.--Title II of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 
(7 U.S.C. 922 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new section:

``SEC. 208. REGIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS DEVELOPMENT.

    ``In addition to any preference given under section 201 with 
respect to a telephone loan made under this Act, the Secretary may give 
preference to an application for such a loan for a project that, as 
determined by the Secretary, supports the development of 
telecommunications services on a multijurisdictional basis. In 
evaluating such an application, the Secretary shall consider whether--
            ``(1) the project that is the subject of the application 
        was developed through the collaboration and participation of 
        multiple stakeholders in the service area of the project, 
        including State, local, and tribal governments, nonprofit 
        institutions, institutions of higher education, and private 
        entities;
            ``(2) the applicant has an understanding of the applicable 
        regional resources that could support the project, including 
        natural resources, human resources, infrastructure, and 
        financial resources; and
            ``(3) the project has clear objectives and includes a means 
        to establish measurable performance measures and to track 
        progress toward meeting such objectives.''.
    (b) Exemption From State Agency Requirement.--Section 201 of the 
Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 922) is amended in the last 
sentence by inserting ``or the application involved is an application 
described in section 208'' before the period at the end.
    (c) Definition of Rural Area.--Section 203(b) of the Rural 
Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 924(b)) is amended by striking 
``5,000'' and inserting ``20,000''.

SEC. 3. RURAL BROADBAND DEVELOPMENT.

    (a) Award of Grants.--Section 601 of the Rural Electrification Act 
of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``loans and loan 
        guarantees'' and inserting ``loans, loan guarantees, and 
        grants'';
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in the subsection heading, by striking ``and 
                Loan Guarantees'' and inserting ``Loan Guarantees, and 
                Grants'';
                    (B) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``, and may make 
                grants,'' after ``loans''; and
                    (C) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
                        (A), by striking ``loans or loan guarantees'' 
                        and inserting ``loans, loan guarantees, or 
                        grants'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (A)--
                                    (I) by striking ``loan and loan 
                                guarantee'' and inserting ``loan, loan 
                                guarantee, and grant''; and
                                    (II) by striking ``loans and loan 
                                guarantees'' and inserting ``loans, 
                                loan guarantees, and grants''; and
                            (iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
                        ``loans or loan guarantees'' and inserting 
                        ``loans, loan guarantees, or grants'';
            (3) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)(A)--
                            (i) in the matter preceding clause (i), by 
                        striking ``loan or loan guarantee'' and 
                        inserting ``loan, loan guarantee, or grant'';
                            (ii) in clause (ii), by striking ``loan'' 
                        and inserting ``loan or grant''; and
                            (iii) in clause (iii)--
                                    (I) by striking ``loan'' and 
                                inserting ``loan or grant''; and
                                    (II) by striking ``loan made or 
                                guaranteed'' and inserting ``loan or 
                                grant made or loan guaranteed'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), in the matter 
                        preceding clause (i)--
                                    (I) by inserting ``or the funds 
                                received through a grant made'' after 
                                ``guaranteed''; and
                                    (II) by striking ``loan or loan 
                                guarantee'' and inserting ``loan, loan 
                                guarantee, or grant''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
                        ``loan or loan guarantee'' and inserting 
                        ``loan, loan guarantee, or grant'';
                    (C) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking ``loan or loan 
                guarantee'' and inserting ``loan, loan guarantee, or 
                grant'';
                    (D) in paragraph (4), by striking ``loan or loan 
                guarantee'' and inserting ``loan, loan guarantee, or 
                grant'';
                    (E) in paragraph (5)(A), in the matter preceding 
                clause (i), by striking ``loan or loan guarantee'' and 
                inserting ``loan, loan guarantee, or grant'';
                    (F) in paragraph (6)--
                            (i) by striking ``loan or loan guarantee'' 
                        and inserting ``loan, loan guarantee, or 
                        grant''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``loan involved'' and 
                        inserting ``loan or grant involved''; and
                    (G) in paragraph (7), by striking ``loan'' and 
                inserting ``loan or grant'';
            (4) in subsection (f), by striking ``loan or loan 
        guarantee'' and inserting ``loan, loan guarantee, or grant'';
            (5) in subsection (j)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                striking ``loan and loan guarantee'' and inserting 
                ``loan, loan guarantee, and grant'';
                    (B) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by striking ``loans'' and inserting 
                        ``loans or grants''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``loan'' and inserting 
                        ``loan or grant'';
                    (C) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
                        ``loan'' and inserting ``loan or grant'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
                        ``loans and loan guarantees'' and inserting 
                        ``loans, loan guarantees, and grants''; and
                            (iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
                        ``loans and loan guarantees'' and inserting 
                        ``loans, loan guarantees, and grants''; and
                    (D) in paragraph (3), by striking ``loan'' and 
                inserting ``loan or grant'';
            (6) by redesignating subsections (k) and (l) as subsections 
        (l) and (m), respectively;
            (7) by inserting after subsection (j) the following new 
        subsection:
    ``(k) Matching Funds Requirement.--The recipient of a grant under 
this section shall provide funds, in-kind contributions, or a 
combination of both, from sources other than funds provided through 
such grant in an amount that is at least equal to 10 percent of the 
amount of such grant.'';
            (8) in subsection (l) (as so redesignated)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``section'' and 
                all that follows through ``expended.'' and inserting 
                the following: ``section--
                    ``(A) $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 
                through 2015, to remain available until expended; and
                    ``(B) $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 
                through 2020, to remain available until expended.''; 
                and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``loans and 
                loan guarantees'' and inserting ``loans, loan 
                guarantees, and grants'' each place it appears in 
                clauses (i) and (ii); and
            (9) in subsection (m) (as so redesignated)--
                    (A) by striking ``loan or loan guarantee'' and 
                inserting ``loan, loan guarantee, or grant''; and
                    (B) by striking ``2018'' and inserting ``2020''.
    (b) Priority for Support for Development of Broadband Service.--
Paragraph (2) of section 601(c) of the Rural Electrification Act of 
1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb(c)), as amended by subsection (a), is further 
amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(E) give priority to applicants that offer in the 
                applications of the applicants to provide support for 
                mutijurisdictional projects for the development of 
                broadband service in rural areas that are developed 
                through the collaboration and participation of multiple 
                stakeholders in the service area of such a project, 
                including State, local, and tribal governments, 
                nonprofit institutions, institutions of higher 
                education, and private entities.''.