[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2577 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2577

To provide incentives to promote broadband telecommunications services 
               in rural America, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 24, 2004

 Mrs. Clinton introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide incentives to promote broadband telecommunications services 
               in rural America, 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 ``Broadband Rural Research Investment 
Act of 2004''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The availability of broadband telecommunications 
        services in rural America is critical to economic development, 
        job creation, and new services such as distance learning and 
        telemedicine.
            (2) Existing broadband technology cannot be deployed in 
        many rural areas, either because of technical limitations, or 
        the cost of deployment relative to the available market.
            (3) Research in new broadband technology that addresses 
        these barriers could increase the availability of broadband 
        telecommunications services in rural areas.

SEC. 3. RESEARCH ON ENHANCEMENT OF BROADBAND TELECOMMUNICATIONS 
              SERVICES.

    (a) In General.--The Director of the National Science Foundation 
(in this section, referred to as the ``Director'') shall carry out 
research on the following:
            (1) Means of enhancing or facilitating the availability of 
        broadband telecommunications services in rural areas and other 
        remote areas.
            (2) Means of facilitating or enhancing access to the 
        Internet through broadband telecommunications services.
    (b) Scope of Authority.--The Director may carry out research under 
subsection (a) within the National Science Foundation or pursuant to 
such grants, agreements, or other arrangements as the Director 
considers appropriate.
    (c) Results of Research.--The Director shall make available to the 
public, in such manner as the Director considers appropriate, the 
results of any research carried out under this section.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated for the National Science Foundation for purposes of 
activities under this section $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2005, and 
such sums as are necessary for each fiscal year thereafter.
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