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necessary for the provision of public broadcasting
services, except that such term does not include the
buildings to house such apparatus (other than small
equipment shelters that are part of satellite Earth
stations, translators, microwave interconnection fa-
cilities, and similar facilities).
‘‘(14) The term ‘public broadcasting services’
means the production, acquisition, distribution, or
dissemination of noncommercial, educational and
cultural programs disseminated through that portion
of the broadcast spectrum designated by the Federal
Communications Commission for noncommercial,
educational television, or radio broadcasting.
‘‘(15) The term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary
of Commerce when such term is used in subpart A,
subpart B, and subpart C, and the Secretary of
Health and Human Services when such term is used
in subpart D and this subpart.’’.
‘‘(18) The term ‘telecommunications and infor-
mation infrastructure’ means the hardware and op-
erating software necessary to transmit, receive,
store, or distribute analog or digital signals for
voice, data, or video, except that such hardware and
operating software shall not include public broad-
casting facilities.’’.
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TITLE II—ASSISTANCE FOR TELECOMMUNI-
CATIONS AND INFORMATION INFRASTRUC-
TURE DEVELOPMENT
SEC. 201. (a) The heading to subpart C of part IV
of the Communications Act of 1934 (title 47 of the United
States Code), ‘‘Telecommunications Demonstrations,’’ is
hereby deleted and replaced with the following—‘‘Assist-
ance for Telecommunications and Information Infrastruc-
ture’’.
(b) Section 395 of the Communications Act (title 47
of the United States Code) is hereby repealed and replaced
with the following:
‘‘DECLARATION
OF
PURPOSE; GENERAL
CRITERIA
FOR
APPROVAL AND EXPENDITURES BY SECRETARY OF
COMMERCE; APPROPRIATIONS; ADMINISTRATION
‘‘SEC. 395. (a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this sec-
tion is to assist, through matching grants, the develop-
ment of a national telecommunications and information in-
frastructure, by the most efficient and economical means.
The objectives of these grants are to—
‘‘(1) expand telecommunications networks or
systems for health care providers, educational insti-
tutions, research facilities, libraries, museums, State
and local governments, and other social service and
public information providers;
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‘‘(2) enhance the ability, through interconnec-
tion, of health care providers, educational institu-
tions, research facilities, libraries, museums, State
and local governments, and other social service and
public information providers to access existing and
new sources of information;
‘‘(3) improve the efficiency and effectiveness of
the delivery of social services, such as education and
health care, to the American people;
‘‘(4) promote innovation in the use of tele-
communications services and technologies by sup-
porting telecommunications demonstration projects
in the delivery of social services; and
‘‘(5) increase the professional productivity, per-
sonal growth, and quality of life for all citizens of
the United States, especially traditionally under-
served populations thereof, through efficient access
to information.
‘‘(b) CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall base determina-
tions on whether to approve grants under this section, and
the amount of such grants, except that such amount shall
not exceed 50 percent of the amount determined by the
Secretary to be the reasonable and necessary cost of such
project, unless the Secretary determines that extraor-
dinary circumstances warrant providing a grant not to ex-
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ceed 75 percent, on finding that the project would advance
one or more of the following goals—
‘‘(1) the enhancement of the telecommuni-
cations and information infrastructure for health
care providers, educational institutions, research fa-
cilities, libraries, museums, State and local govern-
ment and other social service and public information
providers;
‘‘(2) the promotion of accessibility to, and uni-
versal utilization of, telecommunications and infor-
mation infrastructure for all citizens of the United
States, especially traditionally underserved popu-
lations;
‘‘(3) the development and increased use of tele-
communications and information infrastructure, es-
pecially for education, health care, research, and
other social and public information service providers,
with demonstration projects;
‘‘(4) the promotion of infrastructure inter-
connection and interoperability; and
‘‘(5) the evaluation and demonstration of the
efficiency and efficacy of innovative telecommuni-
cations facilities, systems or networks in the provi-
sion of education, health care, and other social and
public information services.