I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2569 
To codify certain changes proposed by the Department of Agriculture to 
the rules governing eligibility for the rural broadband access program, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 5, 2007 
Mr. GRAVES introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To codify certain changes proposed by the Department of 
Agriculture to the rules governing eligibility for the rural 
broadband access program, 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 ‘‘Rural Broadband De-
ployment Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. CODIFICATION OF CERTAIN CHANGES PROPOSED 
BY THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO 
RULES GOVERNING ELIGIBILITY FOR THE 
RURAL BROADBAND ACCESS PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 601(d) of the Rural Elec-
trification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb(d)) is amended 
by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATIONS.—In deter-
mining the eligibility of an applicant for a loan or 
loan guarantee under this section: 
‘‘(A) RELAXATION
OF
MARKET
SURVEY 
REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary shall not re-
quire the applicant to submit a market survey 
for a service area proposed in the application if 
the applicant is projecting less than a 15 per-
cent penetration of households passed in the 
service area, by the end of the time period used 
in the study conducted by the Secretary to de-
termine whether the project proposed in the ap-
plication is financially feasible; and 
‘‘(B) ELIMINATION
OF
CREDIT
SUPPORT 
REQUIREMENT, INCLUDING THE CASH ON HAND 
REQUIREMENT.—In lieu of imposing the credit 
support requirements set forth in section 
1738.20 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations, 
the Secretary— 
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‘‘(i) except as provided in clause (ii), 
shall require the applicant to demonstrate 
a minimum equity position equal to 20 
percent of the requested loan amount at 
the time the application is submitted (or 
10 percent of the amount, if the applica-
tion proposes to serve an area in which at 
least 40 percent of the households do not 
have access to broadband service or are in 
an area in which broadband service is pro-
vided by only 1 provider); 
‘‘(ii) may waive or modify the require-
ment of clause (i) to the extent that the 
waiver or modification— 
‘‘(I) does not result in the appli-
cant having a projected negative cash 
position in any quarter in the time pe-
riod referred to in subparagraph (A); 
and 
‘‘(II) is required to enable the 
provision of broadband service in an 
area that does not have access to 
broadband 
service 
or 
in 
which 
broadband service is provided by only 
1 provider; and 
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‘‘(iii) shall notify the applicant if fi-
nancial analysis indicates that cash from 
operations and previous cash infusions 
would not be sufficient to enable to appli-
cant to sustain a positive cash position 
throughout the time period referred to in 
subparagraph (A), and that additional cash 
requirements are needed to support the 
feasibility of the loan. 
‘‘(C) NOTICE AND COMMENT ON APPLICA-
TIONS.—As soon as is practicable after receipt 
of an application submitted pursuant to this 
section, the Secretary shall cause to be pub-
lished in the Federal Register a notice that the 
application has been submitted (which shall in-
clude a copy of the application), and that the 
Secretary will accept comments from the public 
on the application during the 30-day period 
after the date the notice is so published.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect on December 1, 2007. 
Æ 
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