I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1328 

To establish the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 25, 2019 

Mr. TONKO (for himself and Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana) introduced the 

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

A BILL 

To establish the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth, 

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 ‘‘Advancing Critical 

5 Connectivity Expands Service, Small Business Resources, 

6 Opportunities, Access, and Data Based on Assessed Need 

7 and Demand Act’’ or the ‘‘ACCESS BROADBAND Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OFFICE OF INTERNET 

2 CONNECTIVITY AND GROWTH. 

3 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact4 ment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall establish 

5 the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth within the 

6 National Telecommunications and Information Adminis7 tration. 

8 SEC. 3. DUTIES. 

9 (a) OUTREACH.—The Office shall— 

10 (1) connect with communities that need access 

11 to high-speed internet and improved digital inclusion 

12 efforts through various forms of outreach and com13 munication techniques; 

14 (2) hold regional workshops across the country 

15 to share best practices and effective strategies for 

16 promoting broadband access and adoption; 

17 (3) develop targeted broadband training and 

18 presentations for various demographic communities 

19 through various media; and 

20 (4) develop and distribute publications (includ21 ing toolkits, primers, manuals, and white papers) 

22 providing guidance, strategies, and insights to com23 munities as the communities develop strategies to 

24 expand broadband access and adoption. 

25 (b) TRACKING OF FEDERAL DOLLARS.— 


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1 (1) BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE.—The Of2 fice shall track the construction and use of and ac3 cess to any broadband infrastructure built using any 

4 Federal support in a central database. 

5 (2) ACCOUNTING MECHANISM.—The Office 

6 shall develop a streamlined accounting mechanism 

7 by which any agency offering a Federal broadband 

8 support program and the Commission through the 

9 Universal Service Fund shall provide the information 

10 described in paragraph (1) in a standardized and ef11 ficient fashion. 

12 (3) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 

13 date of the enactment of this Act, and every year 

14 thereafter, the Office shall make public on the 

15 website of the Office and submit to the Committee 

16 on Energy and Commerce of the House of Rep17 resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, 

18 Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report 

19 on the following: 

20 (A) A description of the work of the Office 

21 for the previous year and the number of resi22 dents of the United States that received 

23 broadband as result of Federal broadband sup24 port programs and the Universal Service Fund 

25 program. 


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1 (B) A description of how many residents of 

2 the United States were provided broadband by 

3 which universal service mechanism or which 

4 Federal broadband support program. 

5 (C) An estimate of the economic impact of 

6 such broadband deployment efforts on the local 

7 economy, including any effect on small busi8 nesses or jobs. 

9 SEC. 4. STREAMLINED APPLICATIONS FOR SUPPORT. 

10 (a) AGENCY CONSULTATION.—The Office shall con11 sult with any agency offering a Federal broadband support 

12 program to streamline and standardize the applications 

13 process for financial assistance or grants for such pro14 gram. 

15 (b) AGENCY STREAMLINING.—Any agency offering a 

16 Federal broadband support program shall amend their ap17 plications for broadband support, to the extent practicable 

18 and as necessary, to streamline and standardize applica19 tions for Federal broadband support programs across the 

20 Government. 

21 (c) SINGLE APPLICATION.—To the greatest extent 

22 practicable, the Office shall seek to create one application 

23 that may be submitted to apply for all, or substantially 

24 all, Federal broadband support programs. 


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1 (d) WEBSITE REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days 

2 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Office shall 

3 create a central website through which potential applicants 

4 can learn about and apply for support through any Fed5 eral broadband support program. 

6 SEC. 5. COORDINATION OF SUPPORT. 

7 The Office, any agency that offers a Federal broad8 band support program, and the Commission through the 

9 Universal Service Fund shall coordinate with the Office 

10 to ensure that support is being distributed in an efficient, 

11 technology-neutral, and financially sustainable manner, 

12 with the goal of serving the largest number of persons in 

13 the United States while avoiding overbuilding and pro14 moting the most job and economic growth for all residents 

15 of the United States. 

16 SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 

17 In this Act: 

18 (1) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘agency’’ has the 

19 meaning given that term in section 551 of title 5, 

20 United States Code. 

21 (2) ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Assist22 ant Secretary’’ means the Assistant Secretary of 

23 Commerce for Communications and Information. 

24 (3) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 

25 means the Federal Communications Commission. 


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1 (4) FEDERAL BROADBAND SUPPORT PRO2 GRAM.—The term ‘‘Federal broadband support pro3 gram’’ does not include any Universal Service Fund 

4 program and means any of the following programs 

5 (or any other similar Federal program) to the extent 

6 the program offers broadband internet service or 

7 programs for promoting broadband access and adop8 tion for various demographic communities through 

9 various media for residential, commercial, commu10 nity providers, or academic establishments: 

11 (A) The Telecommunications and Tech12 nology Program of the Appalachian Regional 

13 Commission. 

14 (B) The Telecommunications Infrastruc15 ture Loans and Loan Guarantees, the Rural 

16 Broadband Access Loans and Loan Guarantees, 

17 the Substantially Underserved Trust Areas Pro18 visions, the Community Connect Grant Pro19 gram, and the Distance Learning and Tele20 medicine Grant Program of the Rural Utilities 

21 Service of the Department of Agriculture. 

22 (C) The Public Works and Economic Ad23 justment Assistance Programs and the Plan24 ning and Local Technical Assistance Programs 


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1 of the Economic Development Administration of 

2 the Department of Commerce. 

3 (D) The Community Development Block 

4 Grants and Section 108 Loan Guarantees, the 

5 Funds for Public Housing Authorities: Capital 

6 Fund and Operating Fund, the Multifamily 

7 Housing, the Indian Community Development 

8 Block Grant Program, the Indian Housing 

9 Block Grant Program, the Title VI Loan Guar10 antee Program, Choice Neighborhoods, the 

11 HOME Investment Partnerships Program, the 

12 Housing Trust Fund, and the Housing Oppor13 tunities for Persons with AIDS of the Depart14 ment of Housing and Urban Development. 

15 (E) The American Job Centers of the Em16 ployment and Training Administration of the 

17 Department of Labor. 

18 (F) The Library Services and Technology 

19 Grant Programs of the Institute of Museum 

20 and Library Services. 

21 (5) OFFICE.—The term ‘‘Office’’ means the Of22 fice of Internet Connectivity and Growth established 

23 pursuant to section 2. 

24 (6) UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND PROGRAM.—The 

25 term ‘‘Universal Service Fund program’’ means any 


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1 program authorized under section 254 of the Com2 munications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) to help de3 ploy broadband. 

4 (7) UNIVERSAL SERVICE MECHANISM.—The 

5 term ‘‘universal service mechanism’’ means any 

6 funding stream provided by a Universal Service 

7 Fund program to support broadband access. 

8 SEC. 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 

9 Nothing in this Act is intended to alter or amend any 

10 provision of section 254 of the Communications Act of 

11 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254). 

Æ 


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