I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2530
To authorize grants for community telecommunications infrastructure 
planning and market development, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 19, 2003
Mr. INSLEE (for himself, Mr. DICKS, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, and Mr. 
BAIRD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To authorize grants for community telecommunications infra-
structure planning and market development, 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 ‘‘Community Tele-
communications Planning Act of 2003’’. 
SEC. 2. COMMUNITY TELECOMMUNICATIONS PLANNING 
GRANTS. 
(a) AUTHORITY TO MAKE GRANTS.—Each Secretary 
concerned may, using amounts authorized to be appro-
priated by the applicable paragraph of subsection (g), 
make grants to eligible entities described in subsection (b) 
for the community telecommunications infrastructure 
planning and market development purposes described in 
subsection (c). 
(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—An entity eligible for a 
grant under this section is any local or tribal government, 
local non-profit entity, cooperative, public utility, or other 
public entity that proposes to use the amount of the grant 
for the community telecommunications infrastructure 
planning and market development purposes described in 
subsection (c). 
(c) 
COMMUNITY
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
INFRA-
STRUCTURE PLANNING AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT.—
Amounts from a grant made under this section shall be 
used for purposes of facilitating the development of a tele-
communications infrastructure and market development 
plan for a locality by various means, including—
(1) by encouraging the involvement in the devel-
opment of the plan of interested elements of the 
community concerned, including the business com-
munity, governments, telecommunications providers, 
and secondary and, where applicable, post-secondary 
educational institutions and their students;
(2) by enhancing the focus of the development 
of the plan on a wide range of telecommunications 
needs in the community concerned, including needs 
relating to local business, education, health care, and 
government; 
(3) by enhancing the identification of a wide 
range of potential solutions for such needs through 
advanced telecommunications infrastructure; and 
(4) by any other means that the Secretary con-
cerned considers appropriate. 
(d) GRANT PRIORITY FOR PLANNING FOR RURAL 
AND UNDERSERVED AREAS.—In making grants under 
this section, each Secretary concerned shall give priority 
to eligible entities that propose to use the grants for com-
munity telecommunications infrastructure planning and 
market development for rural areas or underserved areas. 
(e) ADMINISTRATION.—Each Secretary concerned 
shall establish such administrative requirements for grants 
under this section, including requirements for applications 
for such grants, as such Secretary considers appropriate. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) RURAL
AREA.—The term ‘‘rural area’’ 
means any county having a population density of 
less than 300 people per square mile as determined 
in the 2000 decennial census.
(2) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘‘Sec-
retary concerned’’ means each of the following: 
(A) The Secretary of Commerce. 
(B) The Secretary of Agriculture. 
(C) The Secretary of Education. 
(3) UNDERSERVED AREA.—The term ‘‘under-
served area’’ means any census tract as determined 
in the 2000 decennial census which is located in—
(A) an empowerment zone or enterprise 
community designated under section 1391 of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; 
(B) the District of Columbia Enterprise 
Zone established under section 1400 of the In-
ternal Revenue Code of 1986; 
(C) a renewal community designated under 
section 1400E of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986; or 
(D) a low-income community designated 
under section 45D of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986. 
(g) AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated for purposes of making 
grants under this section—
(1) for the Department of Commerce—
(A) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and
(B) such sums as may be necessary for fis-
cal year 2005 and each subsequent fiscal year; 
(2) for the Department of Agriculture—
(A) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and 
(B) such sums as may be necessary for fis-
cal year 2005 and each subsequent fiscal year; 
and 
(3) for the Department of Education—
(A) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and 
(B) such sums as may be necessary for fis-
cal year 2005 and each subsequent fiscal year.
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