Rural Telecommunications and Broadband Service Act of 2017

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Telecommunications and 
Broadband Service Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. RURAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND BROADBAND ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    Title I of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 13. RURAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND BROADBAND ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There is established within the Commission 
the Rural Telecommunications and Broadband Advisory Committee (in this 
section referred to as the `Committee').
    ``(b) Purpose.--The Committee shall--
            ``(1) provide advice to the Commission and reports to 
        Congress with respect to policy issues relating to 
        telecommunications services in rural areas, including advice 
        and recommendations that would--
                    ``(A) promote the deployment of advanced and next-
                generation telecommunications services in rural areas; 
                and
                    ``(B) advance the principles described in section 
                254(b); and
            ``(2) advise the Commission with respect to the impact that 
        agenda items of the Commission could have on the provision of 
        telecommunications services in rural areas.
    ``(c) Membership.--
            ``(1) Number of members.--The Committee shall be composed 
        of not fewer than 5 and not more than 30 members.
            ``(2) Appointment.--The members of the Committee, other 
        than the co-Chairs described in paragraph (6), shall be 
        appointed by the chairman of the Commission with the 
        concurrence of the senior commissioner of the Commission from 
        the party of which the chairman is not a member.
            ``(3) Removal.--A member of the Committee may be removed 
        only upon the concurrence of both the chairman of the 
        Commission and the senior commissioner of the Commission from 
        the party of which the chairman is not a member.
            ``(4) Terms.--Each member of the Committee appointed under 
        paragraph (2)--
                    ``(A) shall serve for a term of 2 years; and
                    ``(B) may be reappointed for additional terms.
            ``(5) Representation of membership.--The membership of the 
        Committee shall--
                    ``(A) be balanced with respect to the functions 
                that the members of the Committee perform; and
                    ``(B) represent a cross-section of interests in 
                rural telecommunications policy, including 
                individuals--
                            ``(i)(I) with expertise in spectrum 
                        management and efficiency in rural areas; or
                            ``(II) who have provided policy 
                        recommendations with respect to advancing the 
                        principles described in section 254(b), 
                        including, to ensure that next-generation 
                        telecommunications services are deployed in 
                        rural areas in a timely manner, experience in--
                                    ``(aa) offering recommendations;
                                    ``(bb) conducting studies, 
                                research, or reforms; and
                                    ``(cc) establishing new or novel 
                                approaches to policy or spectrum usage 
                                or licensing; and
                            ``(ii) who have--
                                    ``(I) represented--
                                            ``(aa) telecommunications 
                                        providers that serve rural 
                                        areas;
                                            ``(bb) technology 
                                        developers and manufacturers;
                                            ``(cc) Federal, State, 
                                        regional, and local interests;
                                            ``(dd) national security 
                                        interests; or
                                            ``(ee) entities that seek 
                                        to protect consumers; or
                                    ``(II) worked in--
                                            ``(aa) academia; or
                                            ``(bb) the field of public 
                                        safety.
            ``(6) Co-chairs.--
                    ``(A) Appointment.--The chairman of the Commission 
                and the senior commissioner of the Commission from the 
                party of which the chairman is not a member shall each 
                appoint a co-Chair of the Committee.
                    ``(B) Removal.--Each co-Chair of the Committee may 
                be removed only upon the concurrence of both the 
                chairman of the Commission and the senior commissioner 
                of the Commission from the party of which the chairman 
                is not a member.
    ``(d) Meetings.--The Committee--
            ``(1) shall meet not less frequently than once every 4 
        months; and
            ``(2) may meet more frequently than as described in 
        paragraph (1), as determined by the co-Chairs.
    ``(e) Reports.--
            ``(1) Annual report.--The Committee shall submit to the 
        Commission, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
        Transportation of the Senate, and the Committee on Energy and 
        Commerce of the House of Representatives an annual report that 
        describes the activities of the Committee during the preceding 
        year.
            ``(2) Servicing rural areas.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the 
                date of enactment of this section, the Committee shall 
                submit to the Commission, the Committee on Commerce, 
                Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the 
                Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
                Representatives a report that defines, in accordance 
                with the principles described in section 254(b), what 
                constitutes a rural area that has access to 
                telecommunications and information technologies and 
                services.
                    ``(B) Updates.--The Committee may update the report 
                submitted under subparagraph (A), as the co-Chairs 
                determine is appropriate.
    ``(f) Advice on Agenda Items.--The Committee may be called before 
the Commission to consider the impact of agenda items of the Commission 
on the provision of telecommunications services in rural areas.
    ``(g) Expenses.--
            ``(1) In general.--Members of the Committee shall not 
        receive compensation, travel expenses, or a per diem for the 
        work of the members of the Committee.
            ``(2) Use of electronic means.--The Committee shall use 
        telecommunications services and electronic resources to the 
        maximum extent possible to--
                    ``(A) facilitate the work of the Committee; and
                    ``(B) minimize the expenses incurred by the members 
                of the Committee in performing the work of the 
                Committee.
    ``(h) Applicability of FACA.--Sections 10 and 14 of the Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Committee 
or the activities of the Committee.''.

Summary: Rural Telecommunications and Broadband Service Act of 2017 This bill amends the Communications Act of 1934 to establish within the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) a Rural Telecommunications and Broadband Advisory Committee to: provide advice to the FCC, and reports to Congress, on the deployment of advanced and next-generation telecommunications services in rural areas, the advancement of universal service principles for nationwide access to affordable and quality telecommunications and information services, and other policies relating to telecommunications in rural areas. Define what constitutes a rural area that has access to telecommunications and information technologies and services in accordance with universal service principles. And advise on the impact of FCC agenda items on the provision of such services in rural areas.