I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4283 

To require Federal agencies with jurisdiction over broadband deployment 

to enter into an interagency agreement related to certain types of funding 

for broadband deployment. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 11, 2019 

Mr. PENCE (for himself and Mr. VISCLOSKY) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in 

addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently 

determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To require Federal agencies with jurisdiction over broadband 

deployment to enter into an interagency agreement related to certain types of funding for broadband deployment. 

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 ‘‘Broadband Inter5 agency Coordination Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT. 

7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) COVERED AGENCY.—The term ‘‘covered 

2 agency’’ means— 

3 (A) the Federal Communications Commis4 sion; 

5 (B) the Department of Agriculture; and 

6 (C) the National Telecommunications and 

7 Information Administration. 

8 (2) HIGH-COST PROGRAMS.—The term ‘‘high9 cost programs’’ means— 

10 (A) the programs for Universal Service 

11 Support for High-Cost Areas set forth under 

12 subpart D of part 54 of title 47, Code of Fed13 eral Regulations, or any successor thereto; 

14 (B) the Remote Areas Fund set forth 

15 under subpart J of part 54 of title 47, Code of 

16 Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto; 

17 (C) the Interstate Common Line Support 

18 Mechanism for Rate-of-Return Carriers set 

19 forth under subpart K of part 54 of title 47, 

20 Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor 

21 thereto; 

22 (D) the Mobility Fund set forth under sub23 part L of part 54 of title 47, Code of Federal 

24 Regulations, or any successor thereto; and 


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1 (E) the High Cost Loop Support for Rate2 of-Return Carriers program set forth under 

3 subpart M of part 54 of title 47, Code of Fed4 eral Regulations, or any successor thereto. 

5 (b) INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT.—Not later than 180 

6 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the head of 

7 each covered agency shall enter into an interagency agree8 ment requiring coordination between the covered agencies 

9 for the distribution of funds for broadband deployment 

10 under— 

11 (1) the high-cost programs; 

12 (2) the programs administered by the Rural 

13 Utilities Service of the Department of Agriculture; 

14 and 

15 (3) the programs administered by the National 

16 Telecommunications and Information Administra17 tion. 

18 (c) REQUIREMENTS.—In entering into an interagency 

19 agreement with respect to the programs described in sub20 section (b), the head of each covered agency shall— 

21 (1) require that the covered agencies share in22 formation with each other about existing or planned 

23 projects that have received or will receive funds 

24 under the programs described in subsection (b) for 

25 new broadband deployment; 


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1 (2) provide that— 

2 (A) subject to subparagraph (B), upon re3 quest from another covered agency with author4 ity to award or authorize any funds for new 

5 broadband deployment in a project area, a cov6 ered agency shall provide the other covered 

7 agency with any information the covered agency 

8 possesses regarding, with respect to the project 

9 area— 

10 (i) each entity that provides 

11 broadband service in the area; 

12 (ii) levels of broadband service pro13 vided in the area, including the speed of 

14 broadband service and the technology pro15 vided; 

16 (iii) the geographic scope of 

17 broadband service coverage in the area; 

18 and 

19 (iv) each entity that has received or 

20 will receive funds under the programs de21 scribed in subsection (b) to provide 

22 broadband service in the area; and 

23 (B) if a covered agency designates any in24 formation provided to another covered agency 

25 under subparagraph (A) as confidential, the 


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1 other covered agency shall protect the confiden2 tiality of that information; 

3 (3) designate the Federal Communications 

4 Commission as the entity primarily responsible for— 

5 (A) coordinating among the covered agen6 cies; and 

7 (B) storing or maintaining access to all 

8 broadband deployment data; 

9 (4) consider basing the distribution of funds for 

10 broadband deployment under the programs described 

11 in subsection (b) on standardized data regarding 

12 broadband coverage; and 

13 (5) provide that the interagency agreement 

14 shall be updated periodically, except that the scope 

15 of the agreement with respect to the Federal Com16 munications Commission may not expand beyond the 

17 high-cost programs. 

18 (d) ASSESSMENT OF AGREEMENT.— 

19 (1) PUBLIC COMMENT.—Not later than 1 year 

20 after entering into the interagency agreement re21 quired under subsection (b), the Federal Commu22 nications Commission shall seek public comment 

23 on— 


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1 (A) the effectiveness of the interagency 

2 agreement in facilitating efficient use of funds 

3 for broadband deployment; 

4 (B) the availability of Tribal, State, and 

5 local data regarding broadband deployment and 

6 the inclusion of that data in interagency coordi7 nation; and 

8 (C) modifications to the interagency agree9 ment that would improve the efficacy of inter10 agency coordination. 

11 (2) ASSESSMENT; REPORT.—Not later than 18 

12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the 

13 Federal Communications Commission shall— 

14 (A) review and assess the comments re15 ceived under paragraph (1); and 

16 (B) submit to the Committee on Com17 merce, Science, and Transportation of the Sen18 ate and the Committee on Energy and Com19 merce of the House of Representatives a report 

20 detailing any findings and recommendations 

21 from the assessment conducted under subpara22 graph (A). 

Æ 


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