[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1752 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1752
To amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to
provide for a high-speed broadband deployment initiative.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 23, 2023
Mr. Graves of Missouri (for himself, Mrs. Gonzalez-Colon, Mr. Guest,
and Mr. Mann) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the
Committees on Financial Services, and the Budget, 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
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to
provide for a high-speed broadband deployment initiative.
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 ``Eliminating Barriers to Rural
Internet Development Grant Eligibility Act'' or the ``E-BRIDGE Act''.
SEC. 2. HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT INITIATIVE.
(a) In General.--Title II of the Public Works and Economic
Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3141 et seq.) is amended by adding
at the end the following:
``SEC. 219. HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT INITIATIVE.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Broadband project.--The term `broadband project'
means, for the purpose of providing, extending, expanding, or
improving high-speed broadband service to further the goals of
this Act--
``(A) planning, technical assistance, or training;
``(B) the acquisition or development of land; or
``(C) the acquisition, design and engineering,
construction, rehabilitation, alteration, expansion, or
improvement of facilities, including related machinery,
equipment, contractual rights, and intangible property.
``(2) Eligible recipient.--
``(A) In general.--The term `eligible recipient'
means an eligible recipient.
``(B) Inclusions.--The term `eligible recipient'
includes--
``(i) a public-private partnership; and
``(ii) a consortium formed for the purpose
of providing, extending, expanding, or
improving high-speed broadband service between
1 or more eligible recipients and 1 or more
for-profit organizations.
``(3) High-speed broadband.--The term `high-speed
broadband' means the provision of 2-way data transmission with
sufficient downstream and upstream speeds to end users to
permit effective participation in the economy and to support
economic growth, as determined by the Secretary.
``(b) Broadband Projects.--
``(1) In general.--On the application of an eligible
recipient, the Secretary may make grants under this title for
broadband projects, which shall be subject to the provisions of
this section.
``(2) Considerations.--In reviewing applications submitted
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall take into
consideration geographic diversity of grants allocated,
including consideration of underserved markets, in addition to
data requested in paragraph (3).
``(3) Data requested.--In reviewing an application
submitted under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall request from
the Federal Communications Commission, the Administrator of the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the
Secretary of Agriculture, and the Appalachian Regional
Commission data on--
``(A) the level and extent of broadband service
that exists in the area proposed to be served; and
``(B) the level and extent of broadband service
that will be deployed in the area proposed to be served
pursuant to another Federal program.
``(4) Interest in real or personal property.--For any
broadband project carried out by an eligible recipient that is
a public-private partnership or consortium, the Secretary shall
require that title to any real or personal property acquired or
improved with grant funds, or if the recipient will not acquire
title, another possessory interest acceptable to the Secretary,
be vested in a public partner or eligible nonprofit
organization or association for the useful life of the project,
after which title may be transferred to any member of the
public-private partnership or consortium in accordance with
regulations promulgated by the Secretary.
``(5) Procurement.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, no person or entity shall be disqualified from competing
to provide goods or services related to a broadband project on
the basis that the person or entity participated in the
development of the broadband project or in the drafting of
specifications, requirements, statements of work, or similar
documents related to the goods or services to be provided.
``(6) Broadband project property.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary may permit a
recipient of a grant for a broadband project to grant
an option to acquire real or personal property
(including contractual rights and intangible property)
related to that project to a third party on such terms
as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, subject
to the condition that the option may only be exercised
after the Secretary releases the Federal interest in
the property.
``(B) Treatment.--The grant or exercise of an
option described in subparagraph (A) shall not
constitute a redistribution of grant funds under
section 217.
``(c) Non-Federal Share.--In determining the amount of the non-
Federal share of the cost of a broadband project, the Secretary may
provide credit toward the non-Federal share for the present value of
allowable contributions over the useful life of the broadband project,
subject to the condition that the Secretary may require such assurances
of the value of the rights and of the commitment of the rights as the
Secretary determines to be appropriate.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of
the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3121
note; Public Law 89-136) is amended by inserting after the item
relating to section 218 the following:
``Sec. 219. High-speed broadband deployment initiative.''.
SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying
with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by
reference to the latest statement titled ``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO
Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional
Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that
such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
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