NOVEMBER 18, 2021 
Referral to the Committee on Energy and Commerce extended for a period 
ending not later than December 3, 2021 
DECEMBER 3, 2021 
Referral to the Committee on Energy and Commerce extended for a period 
ending not later than January 21, 2022 
JANUARY 21, 2022 
Referral to the Committee on Energy and Commerce extended for a period 
ending not later than March 18, 2022 
MARCH 18, 2022 
Referral to the Committee on Energy and Commerce extended for a period 
ending not later than April 29, 2022 
APRIL 29, 2022 
Referral to the Committee on Energy and Commerce extended for a period 
ending not later than May 6, 2022 
MAY 6, 2022 
Referral to the Committee on Energy and Commerce extended for a period 
ending not later than May 26, 2022 
MAY 24, 2022 
Referral to the Committee on Energy and Commerce extended for a period 
ending not later than June 28, 2022 
JUNE 28, 2022 
Referral to the Committee on Energy and Commerce extended for a period 
ending not later than July 15, 2022 
JULY 15, 2022 
Referral to the Committee on Energy and Commerce extended for a period 
ending not later than July 29, 2022 
JULY 29, 2022 
Referral to the Committee on Energy and Commerce extended for a period 
ending not later than September 12, 2022 
SEPTEMBER 9, 2022 
Referral to the Committee on Energy and Commerce extended for a period 
ending not later than September 22, 2022 
SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 
Referral to the Committee on Energy and Commerce extended for a period 
ending not later than November 14, 2022 
NOVEMBER 14, 2022 
Referral to the Committee on Energy and Commerce extended for a period 
ending not later than December 8, 2022 
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DECEMBER 8, 2022 
Referral to the Committee on Energy and Commerce extended for a period 
ending not later than December 15, 2022 
DECEMBER 16, 2022 
Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged; committed to the Committee 
of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on July 9, 2021] 
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A BILL 
To bolster certain rural broadband programs of the 
Department of Agriculture. 
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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 ‘‘Broadband Internet 
Connections for Rural America Act’’. 
SEC. 2. INNOVATIVE BROADBAND ADVANCEMENT PRO-
GRAM. 
Section 603(e) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 
(7 U.S.C. 950bb-2(e)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be ap-
propriated to the Secretary $300,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2022 through 2029, to remain available 
until expended, to carry out projects in States and 
territories selected by the Secretary to be diverse on 
the basis of geography, topography, and demo-
graphics. 
‘‘(2) LIMITATION.—Not more than $25,000,000 
of the amounts made available under paragraph (1) 
for each fiscal year may be provided for a single 
project.’’. 
SEC. 3. RURAL BROADBAND PROGRAM LOANS AND GRANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 601 of the Rural Elec-
trification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb) is amended— 
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(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘ACCESS 
TO BROADBAND TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERV-
ICES IN RURAL AREAS’’ and inserting ‘‘RECON-
NECT RURAL BROADBAND PROGRAM’’; 
(2) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT; PURPOSE.—The Secretary shall 
establish a program, which shall be known as the ‘ReCon-
nect Rural Broadband Program’, to provide grants, loans, 
and loan guarantees to finance the costs of the construction, 
improvement, and acquisition of facilities and equipment 
for broadband service in rural areas.’’; 
(3) in subsection (c)(2), by striking subpara-
graphs (A) and (B) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—In making grants, 
making loans, and guaranteeing loans under 
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give the high-
est priority to applications for projects to pro-
vide broadband service to unserved rural commu-
nities 
that 
do 
not 
have 
any 
residential 
broadband service of at least— 
‘‘(i) a 10–Mbps downstream trans-
mission capacity; and 
‘‘(ii) a 1–Mbps upstream transmission 
capacity. 
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‘‘(B) OTHER.—After giving priority to the 
applications described in clauses (i) and (ii) of 
subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall then give 
priority to applications for projects to provide 
broadband service to rural communities— 
‘‘(i) with a population of less than 
10,000 inhabitants; or 
‘‘(ii) with a high percentage of low in-
come families or persons (as defined in sec-
tion 501(b) of the Housing Act of 1949). 
‘‘(C) PORTS IN RURAL AREAS PRIORITY.— 
‘‘(i) DEFINITION
OF
PORT.—In this 
subparagraph, the term ‘port’ means— 
‘‘(I) any port on the navigable 
waters of the United States, including 
territories; 
‘‘(II) any harbor, marine ter-
minal, or other shore side facility used 
principally for the movement of goods 
on inland waters; and 
‘‘(III) any port formed in accord-
ance with applicable State or territory 
law. 
‘‘(ii) PRIORITY.—In addition to the 
priority given under subparagraph (B), the 
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Secretary shall give equal priority to an ap-
plication for a project that would increase 
the availability of broadband service in a 
port in a rural area. 
‘‘(D) 
ADDITIONAL
CONSIDERATIONS.—In 
making grants, making loans, and guaranteeing 
loans under this subsection, the Secretary shall 
consider whether an application was developed 
with the participation of community stake-
holders, and will receive a substantial portion of 
the funding for the project from community 
stakeholders or other non-Federal sources.’’; 
(4) in subsection (c)(3)— 
(A) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of 
clause (i); 
(ii) by striking the period at the end of 
clause (ii) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(iii) shall be subject to a grant agree-
ment of not less than ten years.’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (D)(i)— 
(i) in subclause (I), by striking 
‘‘(2)(A)(i)’’ and inserting ‘‘(2)(A)’’; and 
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(ii) in subclause (II), by striking ‘‘any 
of subclauses (I) through (IV) of paragraph 
(2)(B)(i)’’ and inserting ‘‘clause (i) or (ii) 
of paragraph (2)(B)’’; and 
(C) by striking subparagraph (E) and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(E) APPLICATIONS.— 
‘‘(i) GRANT-ONLY APPLICATIONS.—The 
Secretary shall establish an application 
process that permits an application for a 
grant-only award. 
‘‘(ii) COMBINED
APPLICATIONS.—The 
Secretary shall establish an application 
process that permits— 
‘‘(I) a single application for a 
grant and a loan under title I or II, 
or this title, that is associated with the 
grant; and 
‘‘(II) provides a single decision to 
award the grant and the loan.’’; 
(5) in subsection (d)(2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘subparagraphs (B) 
and (C)’’ and inserting ‘‘subparagraph 
(B)’’; 
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(ii) by striking ‘‘is submitted—’’ and 
all that follows through ‘‘(i) not less’’ and 
inserting ‘‘is submitted not less’’ ; and 
(iii) by striking ‘‘(e); and’’ and all 
that follows and inserting ‘‘(e).’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘Sub-
paragraph (A)(i)’’ and inserting ‘‘Subparagraph 
(A)’’; and 
(C) by striking subparagraph (C); 
(6) in subsection (d), by striking paragraph (5); 
(7) by striking subsection (j) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out 
this section $4,500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 
through 2029, to remain available for 5 fiscal years after 
the fiscal year for which appropriated.’’; and 
(8) in subsection (k), by striking ‘‘2023’’ and in-
serting ‘‘2029’’. 
(b) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agri-
culture shall promulgate rules to carry out the amendments 
made by subsection (a) of this section, and complete the bi-
ennial review process required by section 601(e)(2) of the 
Rural Electrification Act of 1936. 
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(c) SUNSET.—The authorities provided by section 779 
of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 
115–141) shall have no force or effect after June 30, 2022. 
(d) TRANSITION RULES.— 
(1) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR ADMINISTRA-
TIVE COSTS.—Not more than 1 percent of the unobli-
gated balances of amounts made available as of June 
1, 2021, to carry out the pilot program described in 
section 779 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
2018 (Public Law 115–141) may be used for the costs 
of transitioning from the pilot program to the pro-
gram under section 601 of the Rural Electrification 
Act of 1936, as amended by this Act. 
(2) CONSOLIDATION OF FUNDS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The unobligated balances 
of all amounts made available on or before June 
30, 2022, to carry out the pilot program de-
scribed in section 779 of the Consolidated Appro-
priations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115–141) that 
are in excess of the amount described in subpara-
graph (B) of this paragraph are hereby trans-
ferred to and merged with amounts made avail-
able to carry out the program authorized under 
section 601 of the Rural Electrification Act of 
1936. 
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(B) UNFUNDED APPROVALS.—The amount 
described in this subparagraph is the amount re-
quired to fully fund each project approved as of 
June 30, 2022, under the pilot program de-
scribed in such section 779 for which amounts 
were not obligated or partially obligated as of 
such date. 
SEC. 4. COMMUNITY CONNECT GRANTS. 
Section 604(g) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 
(7 U.S.C. 950bb-3(g)) is amended by striking ‘‘$50,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023’’ and inserting 
‘‘$150,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2029, 
to remain available for 2 fiscal years after the fiscal year 
for which appropriated’’. 
SEC. 5. DISTANCE LEARNING AND TELEMEDICINE LOANS 
AND GRANTS. 
Section 2335A of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, 
and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 950aaa–5) is amended 
by striking ‘‘$82,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 
through 2023’’ and inserting ‘‘$150,000,000 for each of fis-
cal years 2022 through 2029, to remain available for 2 fis-
cal years after the fiscal year for which appropriated’’. 
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SEC. 6. EXPANSION OF MIDDLE MILE INFRASTRUCTURE 
INTO RURAL AREAS. 
Section 602(g) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 
(7 U.S.C. 950bb-1(g)) is amended by striking ‘‘$10,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2023’’ and inserting 
‘‘$300,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2029, 
to remain available for 2 fiscal years after the fiscal year 
for which appropriated’’. 
SEC. 7. BROADBAND CONNECTORS PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture shall 
establish a system for the dissemination of information and 
technical assistance on the broadband programs of the De-
partment of Agriculture, which shall be for the use of enti-
ties eligible, such as Indian tribes and tribal organizations, 
to receive funds under title II or VI of the Rural Electrifica-
tion Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.) or chapter 1 of sub-
title D of title XXIII of the Food, Agriculture, Conservation, 
and Trade Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 950aaa et seq.). 
(b) LIMITATIONS ON AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIA-
TIONS.—To carry out subsection (a), there are authorized 
to be appropriated to the Secretary of Agriculture not more 
than $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2029, 
which are authorized to remain available through fiscal 
year 2029. 
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SEC. 8. COMMUNITY BROADBAND MAPPING. 
Section 701 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 
(7 U.S.C. 950cc) is amended by redesignating subsection 
(e) as subsection (f) and inserting after subsection (d) the 
following: 
‘‘(e) COMMUNITY BROADBAND MAPPING PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may make 
grants to eligible entities for the purpose of collecting 
broadband service data to assist the Secretary in— 
‘‘(A) 
establishing 
the 
availability 
of 
broadband service or middle mile infrastructure 
in a rural area; 
‘‘(B) determining the eligibility of a com-
munity for assistance under any broadband pro-
gram administered by the Secretary; or 
‘‘(C) undertaking a service area assessment 
under this section. 
‘‘(2) APPLICATION.—To apply for a grant under 
this section, an entity shall submit an application 
therefor which identifies— 
‘‘(A) the data collection area; 
‘‘(B) the purpose of the data collection; 
‘‘(C) the types of broadband service data to 
be collected; 
‘‘(D) the survey and data collection methods 
to be utilized; and 
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‘‘(E) any other information the Secretary 
determines necessary to promote the integrity of 
broadband service data collected under this sec-
tion. 
‘‘(3) LIMITATION
ON
GRANT
AMOUNT.—The 
amount of a grant made under this subsection shall 
not exceed $50,000. 
‘‘(4) BROADBAND
SERVICE
DATA
USAGE.—The 
Secretary shall ensure that any broadband service 
data collected under this section is— 
‘‘(A) measured or assessed in accordance 
with such standards as the Secretary may estab-
lish; 
‘‘(B) accurate and verifiable in accordance 
with such standards as the Secretary may estab-
lish; 
‘‘(C) included in any broadband maps or 
data sets maintained by the Secretary; and 
‘‘(D) made available to the Chair of the 
Federal Communications Commission and the 
Administrator of the National Telecommuni-
cations and Information Administration for in-
clusion in any broadband maps or data sets ei-
ther may maintain. 
‘‘(5) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
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‘‘(A) 
BROADBAND
SERVICE.—The 
term 
‘broadband service’ has the meaning given the 
term in section 601. 
‘‘(B) BROADBAND SERVICE DATA.— 
‘‘(i) 
IN
GENERAL.—The 
term 
‘broadband service data’ means information 
related to— 
‘‘(I) the location and type of 
broadband service; 
‘‘(II) the location and type of 
broadband infrastructure; 
‘‘(III) the advertised, maximum, 
and average speed of broadband serv-
ice; 
‘‘(IV) the average price of the 
most subscribed tier of broadband serv-
ice; 
‘‘(V) the speed tiers of broadband 
service available in the area; or 
‘‘(VI) any additional metric the 
Secretary deems appropriate. 
‘‘(ii) FURTHER DEFINITION.—The Sec-
retary 
shall 
further 
define 
the 
term 
‘broadband service data’ to ensure that data 
is measured and collected in a manner con-
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sistent with the reporting requirements 
under this section, and any broadband co-
ordination or data- sharing obligations. 
‘‘(C) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible 
entity’ means— 
‘‘(i) a unit of local government in a 
rural area; 
‘‘(ii) a tribal government or unit of 
tribal government; 
‘‘(iii) an economic development or 
other community organization; 
‘‘(iv) an eligible entity under title I or 
II that serves persons in rural areas; 
‘‘(v) an internet service provider that 
has not more than 100,000 subscribers; or 
‘‘(vi) any other entity eligible under a 
title VI program that is not an internet 
service provider. 
‘‘(D) MIDDLE MILE INFRASTRUCTURE.—The 
term ‘middle mile infrastructure’ has the mean-
ing given the term in section 602. 
‘‘(E) RURAL AREA.—The term ‘rural area’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 601. 
‘‘(6) LIMITATION ON AMOUNT MADE AVAILABLE 
FOR GRANTS.—The Secretary may not expend more 
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than 1 percent of the amounts made available under 
subsection (f) for each of fiscal years 2022 through 
2029 to carry out this subsection.’’. 
SEC. 9. LIMITATIONS ON RESERVATION OF FUNDS. 
Section 701(f) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 
(7 U.S.C. 950cc(f)), as so redesignated by section 8 of this 
Act, is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(f) LIMITATIONS ON RESERVATION OF FUNDS.—Not 
less than 3 but not more than 7 percent of the amounts 
appropriated to carry out title VI shall be set aside to be 
used— 
‘‘(1) for administrative costs to carry out pro-
grams under title VI; 
‘‘(2) for technical assistance and pre-development 
planning activities to support the most rural commu-
nities; 
‘‘(3) to conduct oversight under title VI; 
‘‘(4) to implement accountability measures and 
related activities authorized under title VI; and 
‘‘(5) to carry out this section.’’. 
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Calendar No. 466 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4374 
[Report No. 117–113, Part I] 
A BILL 
To bolster certain rural broadband programs of the 
Department of Agriculture. 
DECEMBER 16, 2022 
Committee on Energy and Commerce discharged; com-
mitted to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
State of the Union and ordered to be printed 
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