I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5058 
To direct the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and 
Information to establish a competitive grant program to assist local 
governments in providing efficient review and approval of zoning and 
permitting applications that facilitate the deployment of broadband infra-
structure, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 20, 2021 
Mrs. FLETCHER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To direct the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Commu-
nications and Information to establish a competitive 
grant program to assist local governments in providing 
efficient review and approval of zoning and permitting 
applications that facilitate the deployment of broadband 
infrastructure, 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 ‘‘Broadband Incentives 
for Communities Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Congress has provided $12,000,000,000 
since 2010 in competitive grants and financial as-
sistance to expand broadband connections to 
unserved rural and underserved low-income commu-
nities. 
(2) Local governments play a significant role in 
the deployment of broadband infrastructure through 
their zoning and permitting processes. 
(3) Local governments will need additional as-
sistance to manage the expected accelerated pace of 
zoning and permitting applications that facilitate the 
deployment of broadband infrastructure in their 
communities. 
(4) The Federal Government has a critical role 
to play in encouraging the deployment of broadband 
infrastructure by local governments. 
(5) The establishment of a competitive grant 
program to provide resources to, and incentives for, 
local governments to fulfill their role in expanding 
broadband access for all is a vital component of a 
successful broadband deployment policy. 
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SEC. 3. BROADBAND INCENTIVES FOR COMMUNITIES 
GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Assistant Secretary shall 
establish a program to make grants on a competitive basis 
to covered entities to assist such entities in providing effi-
cient review and approval of covered applications. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—The Assistant Secretary may only 
make a grant under this section to a covered entity that 
does the following: 
(1) The covered entity submits to the Assistant 
Secretary an application at such time, in such form, 
and accompanied by such information and assur-
ances as the Assistant Secretary may require. 
(2) The covered entity demonstrates readiness 
for the deployment of broadband infrastructure (in-
cluding fifth-generation wireless communications in-
frastructure) in the jurisdiction of the covered enti-
ty, including through the following: 
(A) Adoption and implementation of effi-
cient processes, which comply with applicable 
Federal standards and regulations, for review-
ing covered applications that facilitate wireless 
and fiber deployment, including those applica-
tions relating to projects that make efficient use 
of existing infrastructure. 
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(B) Adoption and implementation of writ-
ten policies, ordinances, or guidance that allows 
the use of expedited processes, such as micro- 
trenching, for the deployment of broadband in-
frastructure. 
(C) With respect to fees for the processing 
of covered applications— 
(i) in the case of a covered application 
described in subparagraph (A), adoption 
and implementation of fees that are limited 
to the actual, objectively reasonable costs 
incurred by the covered entity to process 
the application and (if applicable) provide 
access to the right-of-way to which the ap-
plication relates; and 
(ii) in the case of any other covered 
application, adoption and implementation 
of uniform and objectively reasonable fees, 
which shall be published in advance of the 
date on which such fees begin to apply to 
any such application. 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—A covered entity that receives 
a grant under this section shall use the grant for one or 
more of the following: 
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(1) Capacity-building for the covered entity to 
facilitate the processing of covered applications, in-
cluding employee training and hiring. 
(2) The purchase of technology, software, and 
equipment to facilitate the processing of covered ap-
plications, including in a remote work environment. 
SEC. 4. LOCAL BROADBAND ADVISORY COUNCIL. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Sec-
retary shall establish an advisory council, to be known as 
the ‘‘Local Broadband Advisory Council’’, to develop solu-
tions to the challenges shared by local jurisdictions, cov-
ered entities, and infrastructure providers in facilitating 
wireless and broadband deployment, including in unserved 
and underserved communities. 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—The Council shall be composed of 
broadband deployment stakeholders appointed by the As-
sistant Secretary, including representatives from the 
broadband industry, infrastructure providers, local govern-
ments, and covered entities. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the Council 
is established under subsection (a), the Council shall sub-
mit to the Assistant Secretary and Congress a report on 
the solutions developed under such subsection. 
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SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the As-
sistant Secretary such sums as may necessary to carry out 
this Act. 
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Assist-
ant Secretary’’ means the Assistant Secretary of 
Commerce for Communications and Information. 
(2) BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE.—The term 
‘‘broadband infrastructure’’ means facilities or 
equipment utilized for the provision of broadband 
internet access service (as defined in section 8.1(b) 
of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations). 
(3) COUNCIL.—The term ‘‘Council’’ means the 
Local Broadband Advisory Council established under 
section 4. 
(4) COVERED APPLICATION.—The term ‘‘cov-
ered application’’ means a zoning or permitting ap-
plication 
that 
facilitates 
the 
deployment 
of 
broadband infrastructure. 
(5) COVERED ENTITY.—The term ‘‘covered en-
tity’’ means— 
(A) a political subdivision of a State; or 
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(B) an Indian Tribe (as defined in section 
4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu-
cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)). 
(6) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each 
State of the United States, the District of Columbia, 
and each commonwealth, territory, or possession of 
the United States. 
Æ 
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