any equipment or service with respect to which the 
recipient returns to the Commission reimbursement 
funds under paragraph (1)(A), such assurance may 
be satisfied by making an assurance that such funds 
have been returned. 
(g) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING TIMING OF 
REIMBURSEMENT.—Nothing in this section shall be con-
strued to prohibit the Commission from making a reim-
bursement under the Program to a provider of advanced 
communications service before the provider incurs the cost 
of the permanent removal, replacement, and disposal of 
the covered communications equipment or service for 
which the application of the provider has been approved 
under this section. 
(h) EDUCATION EFFORTS.—The Commission shall 
engage in education efforts with providers of advanced 
communications service to— 
(1) encourage such providers to participate in 
the Program; and 
(2) assist such providers in submitting applica-
tions for the Program. 
(i) SEPARATE FROM FEDERAL UNIVERSAL SERVICE 
PROGRAMS.—The Program shall be separate from any 
Federal universal service program established under sec-
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kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
tion 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
254). 
(j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Commission 
$1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2020 to carry out the Pro-
gram. Such amount is authorized to remain available 
through fiscal year 2029. 
SEC. 5. HOLD HARMLESS. 
In the case of a person who is a winner of the Con-
nect America Fund Phase II auction, has not yet been 
authorized to receive Connect America Fund Phase II sup-
port, and demonstrates an inability to reasonably meet the 
build-out and service obligations of such person under 
Connect America Fund Phase II without using equipment 
or services prohibited under this Act, such person may 
withdraw the application of such person for Connect 
America Fund Phase II support without being found in 
default or subject to forfeiture. 
SEC. 6. ENFORCEMENT. 
(a) VIOLATIONS.—A violation of this Act or a regula-
tion promulgated under this Act shall be treated as a vio-
lation of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 
et seq.) or a regulation promulgated under such Act, re-
spectively. The Commission shall enforce this Act and the 
regulations promulgated under this Act in the same man-
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ner, by the same means, and with the same jurisdiction, 
powers, and duties as though all applicable terms and pro-
visions of the Communications Act of 1934 were incor-
porated into and made a part of this Act. 
(b) ADDITIONAL PENALTIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), in addition to penalties under the Com-
munications Act of 1934, a recipient of a reimburse-
ment under the Program found to have violated sec-
tion 4, the regulations promulgated under such sec-
tion, or the commitments made by the recipient in 
the application for the reimbursement— 
(A) shall repay to the Commission all reim-
bursement funds provided to the recipient 
under the Program; 
(B) shall be barred from further participa-
tion in the Program; 
(C) shall be referred to all appropriate law 
enforcement agencies or officials for further ac-
tion under applicable criminal and civil laws; 
and 
(D) may be barred by the Commission 
from participation in other programs of the 
Commission, including the Federal universal 
service support programs established under sec-
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kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
tion 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 
(47 U.S.C. 254). 
(2) NOTICE AND OPPORTUNITY TO CURE.—The 
penalties described in paragraph (1) shall not apply 
to a recipient of a reimbursement under the Pro-
gram unless— 
(A) the Commission provides the recipient 
with notice of the violation; and 
(B) the recipient fails to cure the violation 
within 180 days after the Commission provides 
such notice. 
(c) RECOVERY OF FUNDS.—The Commission shall 
immediately take action to recover all reimbursement 
funds awarded to a recipient of a reimbursement under 
the Program in any case in which such recipient is re-
quired to repay reimbursement funds under subsection 
(b)(1)(A). 
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADVANCED
COMMUNICATIONS
SERVICE.— 
The term ‘‘advanced communications service’’ has 
the meaning given the term ‘‘advanced telecommuni-
cations capability’’ in section 706 of the Tele-
communications Act of 1996 (47 U.S.C. 1302). 
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(2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Federal Communications Commission. 
(3) COVERED COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT OR 
SERVICE.—The 
term 
‘‘covered 
communications 
equipment or service’’ means any communications 
equipment or service that is on the list published by 
the Commission under section 2(a). 
(4) 
CUSTOMERS.—The 
term 
‘‘customers’’ 
means, with respect to a provider of advanced com-
munications service— 
(A) the customers of such provider; and 
(B) the customers of any affiliate (as de-
fined in section 3 of the Communications Act of 
1934 (47 U.S.C. 153)) of such provider. 
(5) 
EXECUTIVE
BRANCH
INTERAGENCY 
BODY.—The term ‘‘executive branch interagency 
body’’ means an interagency body established in the 
executive branch. 
(6) FEDERAL
AGENCY.—The term ‘‘Federal 
agency’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘agency’’ 
in section 551 of title 5, United States Code. 
(7) PERSON.—The term ‘‘person’’ means an in-
dividual or entity. 
(8) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’ means 
the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks 
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