I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7972 
To provide funds to assess the availability, accelerate the deployment, and 
improve the sustainability of advanced communications services and com-
munications infrastructure in rural America, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 7, 2020 
Mr. LATTA (for himself and Mr. O’HALLERAN) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To provide funds to assess the availability, accelerate the 
deployment, and improve the sustainability of advanced 
communications services and communications infrastruc-
ture in rural America, 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 Connectivity Ad-
vancement Program Act of 2020’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEPOSIT OF SPECTRUM AUCTION PROCEEDS IN 
RURAL BROADBAND ASSESSMENT AND DE-
PLOYMENT FUND. 
Section 309(j)(8) of the Communications Act of 1934 
(47 U.S.C. 309(j)(8)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and (G)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘(G), and (H)’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(H) ASSESSMENT AND DEPLOYMENT SET- 
ASIDE.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding 
subparagraph (A), and except as provided 
in subparagraphs (B), (D), (E), (F), and 
(G), 10 percent of the net proceeds from 
each use of a system of competitive bidding 
under this subsection completed before 
September 30, 2022, shall be deposited in 
the Rural Broadband Assessment and De-
ployment Fund established under section 3 
of the Rural Connectivity Advancement 
Program Act of 2020. 
‘‘(ii) NET PROCEEDS DEFINED.—For 
purposes of this subparagraph, the term 
‘net proceeds’, with respect to the use of a 
system of competitive bidding, means the 
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proceeds remaining after subtracting all 
auction-related expenditures, including— 
‘‘(I) relocation payments, includ-
ing accelerated relocation payments; 
‘‘(II) payments to incumbent li-
censees for the relinquishment of all 
or a portion of the spectrum usage 
rights of those licensees; 
‘‘(III) costs associated with the 
reallocation of spectrum, whether on 
an exclusive or shared use basis; 
‘‘(IV) relocation or sharing costs, 
including for planning for relocation 
or sharing; and 
‘‘(V) bidding credits.’’. 
SEC. 3. DIRECTION AND USE OF RURAL BROADBAND AS-
SESSMENT AND DEPLOYMENT FUND PRO-
CEEDS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection— 
(1) the term ‘‘Commission’’ means the Federal 
Communications Commission; and 
(2) the term ‘‘high-cost programs’’ means— 
(A) the program for Universal Service 
Support for High-Cost Areas set forth under 
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(b) ESTABLISHMENT
OF FUND.—There is estab-
lished in the Treasury of the United States a fund to be 
known as the ‘‘Rural Broadband Assessment and Deploy-
ment Fund’’. 
(c) BORROWING AUTHORITY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Beginning on the date on 
which the Commission announces the results of an 
auction under section 309(j) of the Communications 
Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 309(j)), the Commission 
may borrow from the Treasury of the United States 
an amount not to exceed the amount that will be de-
posited in the Rural Broadband Assessment and De-
ployment Fund under paragraph (8)(H) of that sec-
tion (as added by section 2 of this Act) as a result 
of that auction. 
(2) REIMBURSEMENT.—The Commission shall 
reimburse the general fund of the Treasury, without 
interest, for any amounts borrowed under paragraph 
(1) as funds are deposited into the Rural Broadband 
Assessment and Deployment Fund. 
(d) AVAILABILITY OF AMOUNTS.—Any amounts bor-
rowed under subsection (c)(1) and any amounts in the 
Rural Broadband Assessment and Deployment Fund that 
are not necessary for reimbursement of the general fund 
of the Treasury for such borrowed amounts shall be avail-
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able to the Commission for use in accordance with sub-
section (e). 
(e) USE OF AMOUNTS.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT
OF
PROGRAM
OR
PRO-
GRAMS.—The Commission shall use the amounts 
made available under subsection (d) to establish 1 or 
more programs that are separate from, but are co-
ordinated with and complement, the high-cost pro-
grams to address— 
(A) gaps that remain in broadband inter-
net access service coverage in high-cost rural 
areas despite the operations of the high-cost 
programs; and 
(B) shortfalls in sufficient funding of the 
high-cost programs that could adversely affect 
the sustainability of services or reasonable com-
parability of rates that are supported by those 
programs. 
(2) PURPOSES.—In carrying out paragraph (1), 
the Commission shall use amounts made available 
under subsection (d) in an efficient and cost-effec-
tive manner only— 
(A) for the assessment of, and to provide 
subsidies 
in 
a 
technology-neutral 
manner 
through a competitive process (subject to 
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weighting preferences for performance quality 
and other service metrics as the Commission 
may find appropriate) to providers for support 
of, deployment of broadband-capable infrastruc-
ture in high-cost rural areas that the Commis-
sion determines are unserved by fixed terres-
trial broadband internet access service at a 
download speed of not less than 25 megabits 
per second and an upload speed of not less than 
3 megabits per second (or such higher speed as 
the Commission may determine appropriate 
based upon an evolving definition of universal 
service); and 
(B) to assess, and provide subsidies to pro-
viders to enable providers to sustain, broadband 
internet access service in any rural area in 
which— 
(i) only one provider of fixed terres-
trial broadband internet access service op-
erates; and 
(ii) the high-cost nature of the area 
precludes the offering of voice service and 
broadband internet access service at rates 
and performance levels available in urban 
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areas as determined by the Urban Rate 
Survey conducted by the Commission. 
(3) TRIBAL CONSIDERATIONS.—In distributing 
amounts under this subsection, the Commission shall 
consider the broadband internet access service needs 
of residents of Tribal lands (as defined in section 
54.400 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or 
any successor regulation). 
(4) LIMITATIONS.— 
(A) PROHIBITION
ON
FUNDING
OTHER 
PROGRAMS.— 
(i) IN
GENERAL.—The Commission 
may not use amounts made available under 
subsection (d) to fund any program that 
was not established by the Commission 
under paragraph (1) of this subsection, in-
cluding any program established under sec-
tion 254 of the Communications Act of 
1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) in effect on the date 
of enactment of this Act, except for using 
the Universal Service Administrative Com-
pany to administer funding. 
(ii) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Noth-
ing in clause (i) shall be construed to pro-
hibit the Commission from using amounts 
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made available under subsection (d) to 
supplement the provision of support under 
the high-cost programs, as authorized 
under paragraph (1)(B) of this subsection. 
(B) TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY 
FOR
ADDRESSING
GAPS
IN
COVERAGE.—The 
Commission shall establish transparency and 
accountability requirements for amounts made 
available for the purpose set forth in paragraph 
(1)(A) that, at a minimum— 
(i) provide— 
(I) a process for challenging any 
initial determination by the Commis-
sion regarding whether an area is 
served or unserved; and 
(II) written public notice on the 
website of the Commission of— 
(aa) how each challenge 
under subparagraph (I) was de-
cided; and 
(bb) the reasons of the Com-
mission for each decision; 
(ii) establish broadband service build-
out milestones and require periodic certifi-
cation by funding recipients to ensure com-
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pliance with the broadband service buildout 
milestones; 
(iii) establish a maximum buildout 
timeframe of 4 years beginning on the date 
on which funding is provided; 
(iv) establish periodic reporting re-
quirements for funding recipients that 
identify, at a minimum, the nature of the 
service provided in each area where fund-
ing is provided; 
(v) establish standard penalties for 
noncompliance with the requirements es-
tablished under this subparagraph and as 
may be further prescribed by the Commis-
sion; 
(vi) establish procedures for recovery 
of funds, in whole or in part, from funding 
recipients in the event of default or non-
compliance with the requirements estab-
lished under this subparagraph and as may 
be further prescribed by the Commission; 
and 
(vii) require a funding recipient to— 
(I) 
offer 
voice 
service 
and 
broadband internet access service; and 
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