I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7447 
To direct the Federal Communications Commission to take certain actions 
to accelerate the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 1, 2020 
Mr. CLYBURN (for himself, Mr. UPTON, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mrs. HAYES, 
Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. COX of California, Mrs. BUSTOS, Mr. REED, Mr. 
BALDERSON, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. RICE of South Carolina, 
Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. NORMAN, Ms. SPANBERGER, Mr. TRONE, Mr. WILSON 
of South Carolina, Mr. PALAZZO, Mr. WRIGHT, and Mr. GOTTHEIMER) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on En-
ergy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To direct the Federal Communications Commission to take 
certain actions to accelerate the Rural Digital Oppor-
tunity Fund Phase I auction, 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. ACCELERATION OF RURAL DIGITAL OPPOR-
TUNITY FUND PHASE I AUCTION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—With respect to the Rural Digital 
Opportunity Fund Phase I auction (in this section re-
ferred to as the ‘‘auction’’) provided for in the Report and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:36 Jul 23, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7447.IH
H7447
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
Order in the matter of Rural Digital Opportunity Fund 
and Connect America Fund adopted by the Commission 
on January 30, 2020 (FCC 20–5), the Commission shall 
modify the framework for the auction adopted in such Re-
port and Order as follows: 
(1) The Commission shall accept long-form ap-
plications before the auction, during the period that 
begins not earlier than the date that is 30 days after 
the date on which the Commission begins accepting 
short-form applications and ends on September 15, 
2020, from such applicants as are willing to commit 
to the schedule described in paragraph (3)(C) for de-
ployment of networks capable of providing gigabit 
broadband internet access service. 
(2) If the long-form applications accepted pur-
suant to paragraph (1) indicate that, for any census 
block or census block group that, as of July 31, 
2020, was identified on the List of Eligible Areas 
maintained by the Commission, there is only 1 quali-
fied applicant willing to commit to provide gigabit 
broadband internet access service pursuant to the 
schedule described in paragraph (3)(C), the Commis-
sion shall, not later than the earlier of October 15, 
2020, or 14 days before the start of the auction— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:36 Jul 23, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7447.IH
H7447
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
(A) award to such applicant Rural Digital 
Opportunity Fund Phase I support for such 
census block or census block group, at 100 per-
cent of the reserve price (in this paragraph re-
ferred to as the ‘‘award’’); 
(B) remove such census block or census 
block group from the auction; and 
(C) reduce the budget for the auction by 
50 percent of the amount of the award and re-
duce the budget for the Rural Digital Oppor-
tunity Fund Phase II auction provided for in 
such Report and Order by 50 percent of the 
amount of the award. 
(3) The Commission shall require an applicant 
submitting a long-form application pursuant to para-
graph (1), in order for such application to be consid-
ered complete— 
(A) to demonstrate project readiness by 
providing a network design for a fiber optic 
cable or hybrid fiber optic and coaxial cable net-
work (which may include other technology used 
in conjunction with the foregoing solely on an 
ancillary basis) to be deployed to provide gig-
abit broadband internet access service to loca-
tions in each census block or census block 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:36 Jul 23, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7447.IH
H7447
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
group covered by the application, except that an 
applicant that has offered gigabit broadband 
internet access service (despite consumer equip-
ment limitations) for at least 2 years before the 
date on which the application is submitted shall 
be presumed to have demonstrated project read-
iness; 
(B) to demonstrate financial stability by 
providing a letter of commitment from a bank 
or other documentation to establish that suffi-
cient credit would be available to such applicant 
if such applicant becomes a winning bidder and 
is awarded support; and 
(C) to commit to— 
(i) begin construction not later than 6 
months following funding authorization; 
and 
(ii) begin to make service available in 
at least one awarded census block not later 
than 1 year following funding authoriza-
tion. 
(4) A recipient of an award of support under 
paragraph (2)(A) shall have a reasonable oppor-
tunity, of not less than 90 days after the date on 
which such award of support is made, to cure any 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:36 Jul 23, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7447.IH
H7447
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
deficiencies in a long-form application submitted 
pursuant to paragraph (1). 
(5) If a recipient of an award of support under 
paragraph (2)(A) for a census block or census block 
group fails to meet the deployment schedule to 
which the recipient committed under paragraph 
(3)(C), the Commission shall revoke such award of 
support and include such census block or census 
block group for competitive bidding in the Rural 
Digital Opportunity Fund Phase II auction provided 
for in such Report and Order, unless such deploy-
ment schedule is extended by the Commission for 
good cause, due to extenuating circumstances out-
side the control of the recipient and the Commission 
finds that the recipient is making good faith efforts 
to overcome such circumstances. 
(6) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
the Commission shall not require any short-form or 
long-form applicant to be designated as an eligible 
telecommunications carrier under section 214(e) of 
the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 214(e)) 
in order to receive Rural Digital Opportunity Fund 
Phase I or Phase II support. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:36 Jul 23, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7447.IH
H7447
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS