I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2669
To improve access to telecommunications and Internet services in rural areas.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JULY 27, 2001
Mr. MORAN of Kansas (for himself, Mr. OSBORNE, Mr. PICKERING, Mr. HALL
of Texas, Mrs. CLAYTON, Mr. GOODE, Mr. BISHOP, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN,
Mr. THUNE, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. SCHAFFER, Mr. HUTCHINSON, Mr.
CHAMBLISS, Mr. BRADY of Texas, Mr. STENHOLM, Mr. BOSWELL, Mr.
THOMPSON of California, Mr. POMEROY, Mr. CONDIT, Mrs. EMERSON,
Mr. BERRY, Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. ETHERIDGE, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. REHBERG,
Mr. HAYES, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr. KIND, and Mr. JOHN) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee 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 consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee
concerned
A BILL
To improve access to telecommunications and Internet
services in rural areas.
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 Telecommuni-
cations Enhancement Act’’.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF LOANS AND GRANTS TO IM-
PROVE ACCESS TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS
AND INTERNET SERVICES IN RURAL AREAS.
(a) LOANS.—
(1) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of Agriculture
(in this section referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) may
make a loan to an eligible entity to finance the im-
provement, expansion, construction, acquisition, and
operation of systems of facilities to furnish or im-
prove broadband transmission service in rural areas.
(2) INTEREST
RATE.—The Secretary shall
charge and collect interest on a loan made under
this section at a rate equal to the coupon equivalent
yield on obligations of the United States with com-
parable maturity issued at the most recent auction
of such obligations by the Department of the Treas-
ury.
(3) LIMITATION.—The Secretary shall not
make more than $500,000,000 in loans under this
subsection per fiscal year during fiscal years 2002
through 2011.
(b) GRANTS.—The Secretary of Agriculture may
make a grant under this section to an eligible entity to
finance the improvement, expansion, construction, acquisi-
tion, and operation of systems of facilities to furnish or
improve broadband transmission service in rural areas.
(c) TECHNOLOGY
NEUTRALITY.—In determining
whether or not to make a loan or grant to an entity under
this section, the type of technology proposed to be em-
ployed by the entity may not be taken into consideration.
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means a legally organized non-Federal public or
private entity, including an incorporated or a limited
liability entity, cooperative, non-profit organization,
or limited dividend or mutual association, that pro-
vides, or proposes to provide, broadband trans-
mission service in a rural area.
(2) RURAL
AREA.—The term ‘‘rural area’’
means a city, town, or unincorporated area that has
a population of not more than 25,000 inhabitants.
(e) LIMITATIONS
ON AUTHORIZATION
OF APPRO-
PRIATIONS.—
(1) LOANS.—For the cost (as defined in section
502(5) of the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990)
of loans under this section, there are authorized to
be appropriated to the Secretary of Agriculture a
total of not more than $10,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2002 through 2011.
(2) GRANTS.—For grants under this section,
there are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-