Rural Broadband Protection Act of 2022

Bill: 117-s-4126
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV]
Introduced: 2022-05-03
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Latest action: action_date: 2022-05-03
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-05-03
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Rural Broadband Protection Act of 2022</strong></p> <p>This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a process to vet applicants for certain funding that supports affordable broadband deployment in high-cost areas, including rural communities.</p> <p>Specifically, the process applies to applicants seeking funding under the high-cost universal service programs that provide competitive awards for broadband deployment.</p> <p>As part of the process, the FCC must require applicants to provide a proposal for deploying the broadband network. The proposal must contain enough detail and documentation for the FCC to ascertain whether the applicant has the technical capabilities to deploy the proposed network and deliver services.</p> <p>The FCC must evaluate proposals against reasonable and well-established technical standards.</p>

tv_txt: II 117th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4126 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 3, 2022 Mrs. Capito (for herself and Ms. Klobuchar ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To require the Federal Communications Commission to establish a vetting process for prospective applicants for high-cost universal service program funding.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Rural Broadband Protection Act of 2022 . 2. Vetting process for prospective high-cost universal service fund applicants (a) Definitions In this section— (1) the term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission; (2) the term covered funding means high-cost universal service program funding provided through a competitive award process for the deployment of a broadband-capable network and the provision of supported services over the network; and (3) the term new covered funding award means an award of covered funding that is made based on an application submitted to the Commission on or after the date on which rules are promulgated under subsection (b). (b) FCC rulemaking Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall initiate a rulemaking proceeding to establish a vetting process for applicants for, and other recipients of, a new covered funding award. (c) Contents In promulgating rules under subsection (b), the Commission shall provide that— (1) an applicant for a new covered funding award shall include in the initial application a proposal containing sufficient detail and documentation for the Commission to ascertain that the applicant possesses the technical capability, and has a reasonable plan, to deploy the proposed network and deliver services with the relevant performance characteristics defined by the Commission and as pledged by the applicant; (2) the proposal described in paragraph (1) shall include sufficient detail and supporting documentation for the Commission to reasonably ascertain whether the applicant and the technology that the applicant plans to use would have the ability to perform as required given the characteristics of the locations to be served; and (3) the Commission shall evaluate a proposal described in paragraph (1) against reasonable and well-established technical standards, including the technical standards adopted by the Commission in orders of the Commission relating to modernizing the FCC Form 477 Data Program (WC Docket No. 11–10) (or orders of the Commission relating to modernizing any successor collection) for purposes of entities that must report broadband availability coverage.