I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2530

To authorize grants for community telecommunications infrastructure 

planning and market development, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 19, 2003

Mr. INSLEE (for himself, Mr. DICKS, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, and Mr. 

BAIRD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL

To authorize grants for community telecommunications infrastructure planning and market development, and for 

other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Community Tele5 communications Planning Act of 2003’’. 

6 SEC. 2. COMMUNITY TELECOMMUNICATIONS PLANNING 

7 GRANTS. 

8 (a) AUTHORITY TO MAKE GRANTS.—Each Secretary 

9 concerned may, using amounts authorized to be appro-
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1 priated by the applicable paragraph of subsection (g), 

2 make grants to eligible entities described in subsection (b) 

3 for the community telecommunications infrastructure 

4 planning and market development purposes described in 

5 subsection (c). 

6 (b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—An entity eligible for a 

7 grant under this section is any local or tribal government, 

8 local non-profit entity, cooperative, public utility, or other 

9 public entity that proposes to use the amount of the grant 

10 for the community telecommunications infrastructure 

11 planning and market development purposes described in 

12 subsection (c). 

13 (c) COMMUNITY TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRA14 STRUCTURE PLANNING AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT.—

15 Amounts from a grant made under this section shall be 

16 used for purposes of facilitating the development of a tele17 communications infrastructure and market development 

18 plan for a locality by various means, including—

19 (1) by encouraging the involvement in the devel20 opment of the plan of interested elements of the 

21 community concerned, including the business com22 munity, governments, telecommunications providers, 

23 and secondary and, where applicable, post-secondary 

24 educational institutions and their students; 
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1 (2) by enhancing the focus of the development 

2 of the plan on a wide range of telecommunications 

3 needs in the community concerned, including needs 

4 relating to local business, education, health care, and 

5 government; 

6 (3) by enhancing the identification of a wide 

7 range of potential solutions for such needs through 

8 advanced telecommunications infrastructure; and 

9 (4) by any other means that the Secretary con10 cerned considers appropriate. 

11 (d) GRANT PRIORITY FOR PLANNING FOR RURAL

12 AND UNDERSERVED AREAS.—In making grants under 

13 this section, each Secretary concerned shall give priority 

14 to eligible entities that propose to use the grants for com15 munity telecommunications infrastructure planning and 

16 market development for rural areas or underserved areas. 

17 (e) ADMINISTRATION.—Each Secretary concerned 

18 shall establish such administrative requirements for grants 

19 under this section, including requirements for applications 

20 for such grants, as such Secretary considers appropriate. 

21 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

22 (1) RURAL AREA.—The term ‘‘rural area’’ 

23 means any county having a population density of 

24 less than 300 people per square mile as determined 

25 in the 2000 decennial census. 
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1 (2) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘‘Sec2 retary concerned’’ means each of the following: 

3 (A) The Secretary of Commerce. 

4 (B) The Secretary of Agriculture. 

5 (C) The Secretary of Education. 

6 (3) UNDERSERVED AREA.—The term ‘‘under7 served area’’ means any census tract as determined 

8 in the 2000 decennial census which is located in—

9 (A) an empowerment zone or enterprise 

10 community designated under section 1391 of 

11 the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; 

12 (B) the District of Columbia Enterprise 

13 Zone established under section 1400 of the In14 ternal Revenue Code of 1986; 

15 (C) a renewal community designated under 

16 section 1400E of the Internal Revenue Code of 

17 1986; or 

18 (D) a low-income community designated 

19 under section 45D of the Internal Revenue 

20 Code of 1986. 

21 (g) AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

22 is authorized to be appropriated for purposes of making 

23 grants under this section—

24 (1) for the Department of Commerce—

25 (A) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and 
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1 (B) such sums as may be necessary for fis2 cal year 2005 and each subsequent fiscal year; 

3 (2) for the Department of Agriculture—

4 (A) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and 

5 (B) such sums as may be necessary for fis6 cal year 2005 and each subsequent fiscal year; 

7 and 

8 (3) for the Department of Education—

9 (A) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and 

10 (B) such sums as may be necessary for fis11 cal year 2005 and each subsequent fiscal year.

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