IIB 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1328 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MAY 9, 2019 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation 
AN ACT 
To establish the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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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 enact-
ment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall establish 
the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth within the 
National Telecommunications and Information Adminis-
tration. 
SEC. 3. DUTIES. 
(a) OUTREACH.—The Office shall— 
(1) connect with communities that need access 
to high-speed internet and improved digital inclusion 
efforts through various forms of outreach and com-
munication techniques; 
(2) hold regional workshops across the country 
to share best practices and effective strategies for 
promoting broadband access and adoption; 
(3) develop targeted broadband training and 
presentations for various demographic communities 
through various media; and 
(4) develop and distribute publications (includ-
ing toolkits, primers, manuals, and white papers) 
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providing guidance, strategies, and insights to com-
munities as the communities develop strategies to 
expand broadband access and adoption. 
(b) TRACKING OF FEDERAL DOLLARS.— 
(1) BROADBAND
INFRASTRUCTURE.—The Of-
fice shall track the construction and use of and ac-
cess 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 
support program and the Commission through the 
Universal Service Fund shall provide the information 
described in paragraph (1) in a standardized and ef-
ficient 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 Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report 
on the following: 
(A) A description of the work of the Office 
for the previous year and the number of resi-
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dents of the United States that received 
broadband as result of Federal broadband sup-
port 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 con-
sult with any agency offering a Federal broadband support 
program to streamline and standardize the applications 
process for financial assistance or grants for such pro-
gram. 
(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. 
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