I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3152 
To amend the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to establish an Office of 
Rural Broadband Initiatives in the Department of Agriculture, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 22, 2015 
Mr. NOLAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to establish 
an Office of Rural Broadband Initiatives in the Depart-
ment of Agriculture, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rural Broadband Ini-
tiative Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The Rural Electrification Act of 1936 
helped bring electricity and telephone service to 
rural America, thus removing major barriers to the 
development of our rural economies. 
(2) A lack of affordable broadband presents a 
similar barrier to the development of our rural econ-
omy. 
(3) According to the Federal Communications 
Commission, 53 percent of rural Americans lack ac-
cess to service delivering broadband speeds of 25 
Mbps for downloads and 3 Mbps for uploads. 
(4) High-speed broadband access helps rural 
communities compete and grow in our digital econ-
omy. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF THE CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of the Congress that necessary funds 
should be made available to provide universal and afford-
able broadband access to the United States of America 
with a focus on underserved rural communities. 
SEC. 4. OFFICE OF RURAL BROADBAND INITIATIVES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title VI of the Rural Electrifica-
tion Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb et seq.) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating sections 601 through 603 
as sections 603 through 605, respectively; and 
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(2) by inserting before section 603 (as so redes-
ignated) the following new sections: 
‘‘SEC. 601. DEFINITIONS. 
‘‘In this title: 
‘‘(1) OFFICE.—The term ‘Office’ means the Of-
fice of Rural Broadband Initiatives established by 
section 602(a)(1). 
‘‘(2) UNDER
SECRETARY.—The term ‘Under 
Secretary’ means the Under Secretary for Rural 
Broadband Initiatives appointed under section 
602(a)(2). 
‘‘SEC. 602. OFFICE OF RURAL BROADBAND INITIATIVES. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the 
Department of Agriculture an office to be known as 
the ‘Office of Rural Broadband Initiatives’. 
‘‘(2) UNDER SECRETARY.—The head of the Of-
fice shall be the Under Secretary for Rural 
Broadband Initiatives, who shall— 
‘‘(A) be appointed by the President, by and 
with the advice and consent of the Senate; and 
‘‘(B) report directly to the Secretary. 
‘‘(b) RESPONSIBILITIES.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Under Secretary 
shall— 
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‘‘(A) as of the date of enactment of this 
section, administer all rural broadband-related 
grant and loan programs previously adminis-
tered by the Administrator of the Rural Utili-
ties Service, including— 
‘‘(i) the rural broadband access loan 
and loan guarantee program established 
under section 603; 
‘‘(ii) the Community Connect Grant 
Program described in subpart A of part 
1739 of title 7, Code of Federal Regula-
tions (or successor regulations); and 
‘‘(iii) the Telecommunications Infra-
structure Loan program established under 
this Act. 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The Under Secretary 
shall— 
‘‘(A) conduct extensive, nationwide out-
reach to rural areas; 
‘‘(B) foster the development of a com-
prehensive rural broadband strategic vision; 
‘‘(C) plan coordination of Federal re-
sources for State, regional, and local govern-
ments to assist citizens living and working in 
rural areas; 
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‘‘(D) assess all relevant technologies (in-
cluding WiFi, WIMAX, DSL, cable, satellite, 
fiber, and broadband over power lines), as the 
technologies are able to support in whole or in 
part rural broadband needs and requirements; 
‘‘(E) serve as a single information source 
for all rural broadband programs and services 
administered by Federal agencies, and coordi-
nate the activities undertaken under Federal 
rural broadband programs; and 
‘‘(F) provide technical assistance to State, 
regional, and local governments to develop 
broadband deployment strategies. 
‘‘(c) COMPREHENSIVE RURAL BROADBAND STRAT-
EGY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the appointment of the first Under Secretary, 
the Under Secretary shall submit to the President 
and Congress a report describing comprehensive 
rural broadband strategy that includes— 
‘‘(A) recommendations— 
‘‘(i) to promote interagency coordina-
tion of Federal agencies in regards to poli-
cies, procedures, and targeted resources, 
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and to improve and streamline the policies, 
programs, and services; 
‘‘(ii) to coordinate among Federal 
agencies regarding existing rural broad-
band or rural initiatives that could be of 
value to rural broadband development; 
‘‘(iii) to address both short- and long- 
term solutions and needs assessments for a 
rapid build-out of rural broadband solu-
tions and applications for Federal, State, 
regional, and local government policy mak-
ers; 
‘‘(iv) to identify how specific Federal 
agency programs and resources can best 
respond to rural broadband requirements 
and overcome obstacles that currently im-
pede rural broadband deployment; and 
‘‘(v) to promote successful model de-
ployments and appropriate technologies 
being used in rural areas so that State, re-
gional, and local governments can benefit 
from the cataloging of successes of other 
State, regional, and local governments; and 
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‘‘(B) a description of goals and timeframes 
to achieve the strategic plans and visions identi-
fied in the report. 
‘‘(2) UPDATES.—The Under Secretary shall up-
date and evaluate the report described in paragraph 
(1) on an annual basis. 
‘‘(d) RURAL BROADBAND ADVISORY PANEL.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days 
after the date of appointment of the first Under Sec-
retary, the Under Secretary shall submit to Con-
gress a plan to establish a Rural Broadband Advi-
sory Panel (referred to in this subsection as the 
‘Panel’). 
‘‘(2) 
CHAIRPERSON.—The 
Panel 
shall 
be 
chaired by the Under Secretary or a designee. 
‘‘(3) MEMBERSHIP.—The Panel shall be com-
posed of representatives of— 
‘‘(A) State government; 
‘‘(B) local government; 
‘‘(C) communications equipment vendors 
(including broadband data service providers); 
‘‘(D) public utility services; 
‘‘(E) local exchange carriers; 
‘‘(F) wireless carriers; 
‘‘(G) satellite communications services; and 
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‘‘(H) other appropriate public or private 
sector entities, as determined by the Under Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(4) MEETINGS.—The Panel shall meet not less 
than 4 times each year. 
‘‘(5) DUTIES.—The Advisory Panel shall— 
‘‘(A) assist the Under Secretary in updat-
ing the annual report described in subsection 
(c)(2); 
‘‘(B) evaluate the effectiveness of all Fed-
eral broadband assistance programs and policies 
aimed at fostering broadband access in rural 
and underserved areas; 
‘‘(C) evaluate best practices employed at 
the State and local government level to foster 
broadband access in rural and underserved 
areas; and 
‘‘(D) cooperate with the Under Secretary 
in addressing and evaluating issues determined 
by the Under Secretary to be critical to fos-
tering broadband access and connectivity in 
rural and underserved areas. 
‘‘(e) WEB-BASED
CLEARINGHOUSE.—The Under 
Secretary shall establish a comprehensive and interactive 
rural broadband Web-based clearinghouse that describes 
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options, opportunities, resources, successful public-private 
partnerships, comprehensive funding sources, and tech-
nology tutorials for rural broadband, including— 
‘‘(1) case studies; 
‘‘(2) descriptions of best practices; 
‘‘(3) assessments of various technology solu-
tions; 
‘‘(4) feasibility studies; 
‘‘(5) applications, including telework, telemedi-
cine, distance learning, training, homeland security, 
senior citizen connectivity and program development, 
and business and economic development; 
‘‘(6) rural broadband options and policies anal-
ysis; and 
‘‘(7) support for networks among rural commu-
nities and economic development agencies.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 603 of the 
Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (as so redesignated by 
subsection (a)(1)) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (d)(1)(B), by striking ‘‘sub-
section (k)’’ and inserting ‘‘subsection (l)’’; 
(2) in subsection (j), by striking ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ and inserting ‘‘Under Secretary’’; 
(3) by redesignating subsections (k) and (l) as 
subsections (l) and (m), respectively; and 
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(4) by inserting after subsection (j) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(k) RULES REVISION.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days 
after the date of appointment of the first Under Sec-
retary, the Under Secretary shall submit to Con-
gress a revision of the rules and qualification criteria 
for the loan and loan guarantee programs under this 
section. 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—In preparing the revi-
sion, the Under Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) emphasize streamlining the applica-
tion process and processing time; 
‘‘(B) ensure that the financial require-
ments for applicants do not unduly disqualify 
applicants that have demonstrated a viable 
business plan; and 
‘‘(C) not diminish the mission of the pro-
gram to deliver broadband service to under-
served rural areas.’’. 
SEC. 5. SUFFICIENCY OF RESOURCES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture 
shall submit to Congress a report describing the resources 
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and staff necessary to carry out this Act and the amend-
ments made by this Act. 
(b) PREPARATION OF REPORT.—The Secretary shall 
provide the Office of Rural Broadband Initiatives the re-
sources and staff necessary to carry out this section. 
(c) COMPTROLLER GENERAL REVIEW.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of 
the United States shall review the report submitted 
under subsection (a) for validity. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after the 
date on which the report is submitted under sub-
section (a), the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall submit to Congress a report containing 
the findings of the review under paragraph (1). 
Æ 
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