Title: Connect Unserved Americans Act of 2022
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Connect Unserved Americans Act of 2022
This bill modifies administration of and requirements for broadband deployment programs.
Specifically, it requires the Department of the Treasury to participate in interagency activities to coordinate federally supported broadband deployment.
The bill also increases the percentage (from 50% to 80%) of rural households that a project must serve in order to receive a grant or a loan to expand access to broadband for distance learning and telemedicine in rural areas.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3587 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3587

      To modify conditions of funding for the distance learning, 
telemedicine, and broadband program of the Rural Utilities Service, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

             February 7 (legislative day, February 3), 2022

     Mr. Thune (for himself, Ms. Smith, Mr. Wicker, and Mr. Casey) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
           Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To modify conditions of funding for the distance learning, 
telemedicine, and broadband program of the Rural Utilities Service, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Connect Unserved Americans Act of 
2022''.

SEC. 2. DISTANCE LEARNING, TELEMEDICINE, AND BROADBAND PROGRAM.

    The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58) is 
amended in the third proviso under the heading ``distance learning, 
telemedicine, and broadband program'' under the heading ``Rural 
Utilities Service'' under the heading ``RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS'' 
under the heading ``DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE'' in title I of division 
J by striking ``50 percent'' and inserting ``80 percent''.

SEC. 3. COORDINATION WITH TREASURY DEPARTMENT ON DISTRIBUTION OF 
              BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT FUNDS.

    (a) In General.--Section 904(b) of division FF of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2021 (47 U.S.C. 1308(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1)(A)--
                    (A) in clause (ii), by striking ``and'' at the end; 
                and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(iv) the Department of the Treasury; 
                        and''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(D) the programs administered by the Department 
                of the Treasury.''.
    (b) Deadline.--Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the covered agencies (as defined in section 904(b) of 
division FF of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (47 U.S.C. 
1308(b)), as amended by subsection (a) of this section) shall implement 
the amendments made by subsection (a) of this section.
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