IB 
Union Calendar No. 650 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3994 
[Report No. 115–841] 
To establish the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 6, 2017 
Mr. TONKO (for himself and Mr. LANCE) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
JULY 18, 2018 
Additional sponsors: Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana, Mr. MCKINLEY, Mr. WELCH, 
Mr. MICHAEL
F. DOYLE
of Pennsylvania, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. 
BUCSHON, Mr. O’HALLERAN, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Ms. 
MENG, Mr. RUSH, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. STEFANIK, Mr. COL-
LINS of New York, Ms. ESHOO, and Mr. GRIFFITH 
JULY 18, 2018 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on October 6, 2017] 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:54 Jul 19, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6652
E:\BILLS\H3994.RH
H3994
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
A BILL 
To establish the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth, 
and for other purposes. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:54 Jul 19, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6652
E:\BILLS\H3994.RH
H3994
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
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 ‘‘Advancing Critical 
Connectivity Expands Service, Small Business Resources, 
Opportunities, Access, and Data Based on Assessed Need 
and Demand Act’’ or the ‘‘ACCESS BROADBAND Act’’. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OFFICE OF INTERNET 
CONNECTIVITY AND GROWTH. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall establish the Office 
of Internet Connectivity and Growth within the National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration. 
SEC. 3. DUTIES. 
(a) OUTREACH.—The Office shall— 
(1) connect with communities that need access to 
high-speed internet and improved digital inclusion ef-
forts through various forms of outreach and commu-
nication techniques; 
(2) hold regional workshops across the country to 
share best practices and effective strategies for pro-
moting broadband access and adoption; 
(3) develop targeted broadband training and 
presentations for various demographic communities 
through various media; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:54 Jul 19, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H3994.RH
H3994
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
(4) develop and distribute publications (includ-
ing toolkits, primers, manuals, and white papers) 
providing guidance, strategies, and insights to com-
munities as the communities develop strategies to ex-
pand broadband access and adoption. 
(b) TRACKING OF FEDERAL DOLLARS.— 
(1) BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE.—The Office 
shall track the construction and use of and access to 
any broadband infrastructure built using any Federal 
support in a central database. 
(2) ACCOUNTING MECHANISM.—The Office shall 
develop a streamlined accounting mechanism by 
which any agency offering a Federal broadband sup-
port program and the Commission through the Uni-
versal Service Fund shall provide the information de-
scribed in paragraph (1) in a standardized and effi-
cient fashion. 
(3) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and every year 
thereafter, the Office shall make public on the website 
of the Office and submit to the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation of the Senate a report on the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:54 Jul 19, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H3994.RH
H3994
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
(A) A description of the work of the Office 
for the previous year and the number of residents 
of the United States that received broadband as 
result of Federal broadband support programs 
and the Universal Service Fund program. 
(B) A description of how many residents of 
the United States were provided broadband by 
which universal service mechanism or which 
Federal broadband support program. 
(C) An estimate of the economic impact of 
such broadband deployment efforts on the local 
economy, including any effect on small busi-
nesses or jobs. 
SEC. 4. STREAMLINED APPLICATIONS FOR SUPPORT. 
(a) AGENCY CONSULTATION.—The Office shall consult 
with any agency offering a Federal broadband support pro-
gram to streamline and standardize the applications proc-
ess for financial assistance or grants for such program. 
(b) AGENCY STREAMLINING.—Any agency offering a 
Federal broadband support program shall amend their ap-
plications for broadband support, to the extent practicable 
and as necessary, to streamline and standardize applica-
tions for Federal broadband support programs across the 
Government. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:54 Jul 19, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H3994.RH
H3994
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
(c) SINGLE APPLICATION.—To the greatest extent 
practicable, the Office shall seek to create one application 
that may be submitted to apply for all, or substantially all, 
Federal broadband support programs. 
(d) WEBSITE REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Office shall 
create a central website through which potential applicants 
can learn about and apply for support through any Federal 
broadband support program. 
SEC. 5. COORDINATION OF SUPPORT. 
The Office, any agency that offers a Federal broadband 
support program, and the Commission through the Uni-
versal Service Fund shall coordinate with the Office to en-
sure that support is being distributed in an efficient, tech-
nology-neutral, and financially sustainable manner, with 
the goal of serving the largest number of persons in the 
United States while avoiding overbuilding and promoting 
the most job and economic growth for all residents of the 
United States. 
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) AGENCY.—The term ‘‘agency’’ has the mean-
ing given that term in section 551 of title 5, United 
States Code. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:54 Jul 19, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H3994.RH
H3994
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
(2) ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Assist-
ant Secretary’’ means the Assistant Secretary of Com-
merce for Communications and Information. 
(3) 
COMMISSION.—The 
term 
‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Federal Communications Commission. 
(4) FEDERAL BROADBAND SUPPORT PROGRAM.— 
The term ‘‘Federal broadband support program’’ does 
not include any Universal Service Fund program and 
means any of the following programs (or any other 
similar Federal program) to the extent the program 
offers broadband internet service or programs for pro-
moting broadband access and adoption for various de-
mographic communities through various media for 
residential, commercial, community providers, or aca-
demic establishments: 
(A) The Telecommunications and Tech-
nology Program of the Appalachian Regional 
Commission. 
(B) The Telecommunications Infrastructure 
Loans 
and 
Loan 
Guarantees, 
the 
Rural 
Broadband Access Loans and Loan Guarantees, 
the Substantially Underserved Trust Areas Pro-
visions, the Community Connect Grant Program, 
and the Distance Learning and Telemedicine 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:54 Jul 19, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H3994.RH
H3994
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
Grant Program of the Rural Utilities Service of 
the Department of Agriculture. 
(C) The Public Works and Economic Ad-
justment Assistance Programs and the Planning 
and Local Technical Assistance Programs of the 
Economic Development Administration of the 
Department of Commerce. 
(D) The Community Development Block 
Grants and Section 108 Loan Guarantees, the 
Funds for Public Housing Authorities: Capital 
Fund and Operating Fund, the Multifamily 
Housing, the Indian Community Development 
Block Grant Program, the Indian Housing Block 
Grant Program, the Title VI Loan Guarantee 
Program, Choice Neighborhoods, the HOME In-
vestment Partnerships Program, the Housing 
Trust Fund, and the Housing Opportunities for 
Persons with AIDS of the Department of Hous-
ing and Urban Development. 
(E) The American Job Centers of the Em-
ployment and Training Administration of the 
Department of Labor. 
(F) The Library Services and Technology 
Grant Programs of the Institute of Museum and 
Library Services. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:54 Jul 19, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H3994.RH
H3994
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
(5) OFFICE.—The term ‘‘Office’’ means the Office 
of Internet Connectivity and Growth established pur-
suant to section 2. 
(6) UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND PROGRAM.—The 
term ‘‘Universal Service Fund program’’ means any 
program authorized under section 254 of the Commu-
nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) to help deploy 
broadband. 
(7) UNIVERSAL SERVICE MECHANISM.—The term 
‘‘universal service mechanism’’ means any funding 
stream provided by a Universal Service Fund pro-
gram to support broadband access. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:54 Jul 19, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6203
E:\BILLS\H3994.RH
H3994
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 650 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3994 
[Report No. 115–841] 
A BILL 
To establish the Office of Internet Connectivity and 
Growth, and for other purposes. 
JULY 18, 2018 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:54 Jul 19, 2018
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6651
Sfmt 6651
E:\BILLS\H3994.RH
H3994
dlhill on DSK3GLQ082PROD with BILLS