Rural Broadband Initiative Act of 2007

Bill: 110-hr-2174
Sponsor: Rep. Salazar, John T. [D-CO-3]
Introduced: 2007-05-03 in the House
Policy area: Housing and Community Development
Subjects: Advice and consent of the Senate
Broadband
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Department of Agriculture
Economics and Public Finance
Executive reorganization
Federal advisory bodies
Federally-guaranteed loans
Finance and Financial Sector
Government Operations and Politics
Government lending
Government publicity
Internet
Presidential appointments
Public-private partnerships
Revolving funds
Rural economic development
Science, Technology, Communications
Strategic planning
Technology assessment

Summary:
action_date: 2007-05-03
text: 
Rural Broadband Initiative Act of 2007 - Amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to establish in the Department of Agriculture the Office of Rural Broadband Initiatives, to be headed by the Under Secretary for Rural Broadband Initiatives.
 
States that the Under Secretary shall: (1) administer all rural broadband-related grant and loan programs previously administered by the Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service, including the rural broadband access loan and loan guarantee program and the community connect grant program; (2) conduct rural outreach; (3) foster development of a comprehensive rural broadband strategic vision; (4) assess relevant technologies; (5) serve as a single information source for all federal rural broadband programs and services; and (6) provide technical assistance to state, regional, and local governments to develop broadband deployment strategies.
 
Directs the Under Secretary to submit: (1) to the President and to Congress a comprehensive rural broadband strategy report; and (2) to Congress a plan for a Rural Broadband Advisory Panel.
 
Establishes in the Treasury the National Rural Broadband Innovation Fund.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-05-31
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Specialty Crops, Rural Development, and Foreign Agriculture.
action_date: 2007-05-31
text: Executive Comment Requested from USDA.
action_date: 2007-05-31
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research.
action_date: 2007-05-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.
action_date: 2007-05-03
text: 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 consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-05-03
text: 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 consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-05-03
text: 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 consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2007-05-03
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2007-05-03
text: Introduced in House