I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5497 
To direct the Federal Communications Commission to establish the Office 
of Rural Telecommunications, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 12, 2018 
Mr. PETERSON (for himself and Mr. CRAMER) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To direct the Federal Communications Commission to estab-
lish the Office of Rural Telecommunications, 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 ‘‘Office of Rural Tele-
communications Act’’. 
SEC. 2. OFFICE OF RURAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 6 months after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission 
shall establish an Office of Rural Telecommunications. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:44 Apr 17, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5497.IH
H5497
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(b) DUTIES.—The Office shall have the following du-
ties: 
(1) Coordinate efforts with the Rural Utilities 
Service of the Department of Agriculture and the 
National Telecommunications and Information Ad-
ministration to ensure the mutual and complemen-
tary success of the Commission’s initiatives and the 
programs overseen by these other agencies. 
(2) Coordinate with the Universal Service Ad-
ministrative Company to maintain updated informa-
tion regarding Connect America Fund programs 
that deploy rural broadband. 
(3) Coordinate with other agencies to remove 
barriers to broadband deployment. 
(4) Assess and publish the impact of the actions 
of the Commission on rural consumers before the ac-
tions are voted upon or taken. 
(5) Measure broadband adoption rates in rural 
areas. 
(6) Coordinate with other bureaus and offices 
of the Commission and other agencies to ensure con-
sistency and updating of broadband mapping in 
rural areas. 
(7) Not less frequently than annually, report to 
Congress on the efforts of the Office to promote and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:44 Apr 17, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5497.IH
H5497
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
sustain quality and affordable rural communications, 
including voice and broadband. 
(8) Dedicate a representative to address stake-
holder questions and concerns. 
(c) NO ADDITIONAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.— 
Nothing in this section shall create any additional report-
ing requirement for a broadband provider. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘agency’’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 551 of title 5, 
United States Code. 
(2) 
BROADBAND.—The 
term 
‘‘broadband’’ 
means— 
(A) a mass-market retail service by wire or 
radio that provides the capability to transmit 
data to and receive data from all or substan-
tially all internet endpoints, including any capa-
bilities that are incidental to and enable the op-
eration of the communications service, but ex-
cluding dial-up internet access service; and 
(B) any service that the Commission finds 
to be providing a functional equivalent of the 
service described in subparagraph (A). 
(3) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Federal Communications Commission. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:44 Apr 17, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5497.IH
H5497
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
(4) OFFICE.—The term ‘‘Office’’ means the Of-
fice of Rural Telecommunications established pursu-
ant to subsection (a). 
(5) RURAL
AREA.—The term ‘‘rural area’’ 
means any area other than— 
(A) a city, town, or incorporated area that 
has a population of more than 20,000 inhab-
itants; or 
(B) an urbanized area contiguous and ad-
jacent to a city or town that has a population 
of more than 50,000 inhabitants. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:44 Apr 17, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H5497.IH
H5497
lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS