[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3820 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3820

            To expand broadband access for rural Americans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 3, 2006

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
            To expand broadband access for rural Americans.

    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 for Rural America Act of 
2006''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) High speed broadband communications is no longer a 
        luxury. It has become a vital service for all Americans, much 
        like water, sewer, gas, and electricity are essential resources 
        for our daily lives.
            (2) Broadband infrastructure is critical to community and 
        economic development, by encouraging investment, creating jobs, 
        improving productivity, fostering innovation, and increasing 
        consumer benefits.
            (3) Despite the ongoing efforts by traditional 
        communications carriers to expand broadband services, the rate 
        of deployment in America is still far from ideal. Recent 
        reports indicate that America continues to trail other leading 
        industrialized countries, per capita, in the availability and 
        use of broadband communications.
            (4) As our Nation falls behind the developed world in 
        broadband access, so, too, are rural residents falling behind 
        city and urban residents. In small towns and rural America, 
        broadband service remains largely non existent. In places where 
        it is available, rural broadband customers often pay more for 
        inferior quality than customers in cities and urban areas.
            (5) A national policy is needed to accelerate the 
        deployment of broadband services so that, no matter where they 
        live, every American can have access to affordable and high-
        quality broadband service as soon as possible.

SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

    The purposes of this Act are to encourage the rapid deployment of 
high quality and affordable high speed broadband service to every 
corner of our Nation by--
            (1) establishing a new source of funding for entities that 
        work to identify unserved regions of the Nation and to address 
        the lack of broadband service in those areas;
            (2) reforming the rural broadband loan program to ensure 
        that Federal funds are provided only to qualified entities that 
        will serve truly rural and unserved regions of the Nation, 
        while providing statutory authority and Federal funding for the 
        rural broadband grant program;
            (3) making more unlicensed spectrum available for 
        innovative wireless broadband uses that will not cause harmful 
        interference and degradation of service to other wireless 
        services;
            (4) encouraging rural, regional, and smaller wireless 
        carriers to enter the wireless broadband market by 
        reconfiguring the size of spectrum auctions into smaller market 
        sizes; and
            (5) studying policies and programs adopted by State and 
        local governments that have worked to provide incentives for 
        rapid broadband deployment.

SEC. 4. BROADBAND ACCESS TRUST FUND AND OFFICE OF BROADBAND ACCESS.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) Fund established.--There is established in the Treasury 
        of the United States the Broadband Access Trust Fund.
            (2) Office established.--
                    (A) In general.--There is established within the 
                Federal Communications Commission the Office of 
                Broadband Access.
                    (B) Duties.--The Office of Broadband Access shall 
                coordinate the use of all resources within the Fund, as 
                such resources relate to the expansion of broadband 
                technology into rural or unserved areas.
            (3) Deposits.--The Fund shall consist of--
                    (A) the amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection 
                (f); and
                    (B) 1 percent of the proceeds of any auction for 
                any bands of frequencies conducted pursuant to section 
                309(j) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
                309(j)).
            (4) Fund availability.--
                    (A) Appropriation.--There are appropriated from the 
                Fund such sums as are authorized by the board to be 
                disbursed for grants under this section.
                    (B) Reversion of unused funds.--Any grant proceeds 
                that remain unexpended at the end of the grant period, 
                as determined under subsection (c)(3), shall revert to 
                and be deposited in the Fund.
    (b) Board of Directors.--
            (1) Establishment.--The Fund shall be administered by the 
        Office of Broadband Access, in consultation with a board of 
        directors comprised of 5 members, appointed by the Chairman of 
        the Federal Communications Commission, with experience in 1 or 
        more of the following fields:
                    (A) Grant and investment management.
                    (B) Advanced communications technology.
                    (C) Rural communications services.
                    (D) Community-based economic development.
            (2) Functions.--The board shall--
                    (A) establish reasonable and prudent criteria for 
                the selection of grant recipients under this section;
                    (B) determine the amount of grants awarded to such 
                recipients; and
                    (C) review the use of grant funds by such 
                recipients.
            (3) Compensation prohibited; expenses provided.--The 
        members of the board shall serve without compensation, but may, 
        from appropriated funds available for the administrative 
        expenses of the Federal Communications Commission, receive 
        travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in 
        accordance with applicable provisions under subchapter I of 
        chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.
    (c) Purpose and Activities of the Fund.--
            (1) Grant purposes.--In order to achieve the objectives and 
        carry out the purposes of this section, the Office of Broadband 
        Access is authorized to make grants, from amounts deposited 
        pursuant to subsection (a)(2) and from the interest or other 
        income derived from the Fund--
                    (A) to study the lack of affordable broadband 
                communications services in particular unserved regions 
                of the nation, particularly in rural areas; and
                    (B) to take steps toward providing such services to 
                such regions.
            (2) Grant preference.--In making grants from the Fund, the 
        Office of Broadband Access shall give preference to eligible 
        individuals or entities that are proposing rural or community-
        based partnerships to encourage economic development in 
        unserved regions of the nation, particularly in rural areas.
            (3) Grant availability.--Grants from the Fund shall be made 
        available on a single or multi-year basis to facilitate long 
        term planning.
    (d) Eligible Entities.--
            (1) In general.--The following organizations and entities 
        are eligible to apply for funds under this section:
                    (A) An agency or instrumentality of a State or 
                local unit of government (including an agency or 
                instrumentality of a territory or possession of the 
                United States).
                    (B) A nonprofit agency or organization that is 
                exempt from taxes under section 501(c)(3) of the 
                Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3)).
                    (C) An institution of higher education.
                    (D) Any legally organized incorporated organization 
                or other legal entity, including a cooperative, a 
                private corporation, or a limited liability company.
            (2) Preference.--
                    (A) Nonlicensed entities.--In determining which 
                legally organized incorporated organizations or other 
                legal entities shall receive grants from the Fund, the 
                Office of Broadband Access shall give preference to 
                those organizations and entities that are not already 
                licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to 
                provide voice, data, video, or other communications or 
                information services.
                    (B) Secondary priority for already licensed 
                entities.--The Office of Broadband Access shall only 
                award grants from the Fund to those organizations and 
                entities that are already licensed by the Federal 
                Communications Commission to provide voice, data, 
                video, or other communications or information services 
                only after all applications by nonlicensed 
                organizations described in subparagraph (A) have been 
                considered.
    (e) Permissible Uses of Funds.--Amounts made available by grants 
from the Fund under this section may be used by eligible entities for 
conducting feasibility studies, mapping, economic analysis, and other 
activities done to determine--
            (1) the reasons for the lack of affordable broadband 
        communications services in particular unserved regions of the 
        nation, particularly in rural areas; and
            (2) the scale, scope, and type of broadband services most 
        suitable for each particular unserved area.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Fund $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2007 and each of 
the 5 succeeding fiscal years.
    (g) Reports.--
            (1) By grant recipients.--Each grant recipient shall submit 
        to the Federal Communications Commission and the board a report 
        on the use of the funds provided by the grant.
            (2) By fcc.--
                    (A) In general.--The Federal Communications 
                Commission shall annually submit to Congress a report 
                on the operations of the Fund and the grants made by 
                the Fund.
                    (B) Required content.--The report required under 
                subparagraph (A) shall include--
                            (i) an identification of the grants made, 
                        the recipients thereof, and the planned uses of 
                        the amounts made available;
                            (ii) a financial report on the operations 
                        and condition of the Fund; and
                            (iii) a description of the results of the 
                        use of funds provided by grants under this 
                        section, including the status of broadband 
                        availability in the regions covered by such 
                        grants.
                    (C) Information required.--
                            (i) In general.--The Federal Communications 
                        Commission shall revise FCC Form 477 reporting 
                        requirements not later than 180 days after the 
                        date of enactment of this Act to require 
                        broadband service providers to report the 
                        following information:
                                    (I) Identification of location 
                                where the provider provides broadband 
                                service to customers, identified by zip 
                                code plus 4 digit location (referred to 
                                in this subparagraph as ``service 
                                area'').
                                    (II) Percentage of residential 
                                households and businesses in each 
                                service area that are offered broadband 
                                service by the provider, and the 
                                percentage of such residential 
                                households and businesses that 
                                subscribe to each service plan offered.
                                    (III) The average price per megabit 
                                of download speed and upload speed in 
                                each service area.
                                    (IV) Identification by service area 
                                of the provider's broadband service's 
                                actual average throughput, and 
                                contention ratio of the number of users 
                                sharing the same line.
                            (ii) Exception.--The Federal Communications 
                        Commission may exempt a broadband service 
                        provider from the requirements of this 
                        subparagraph if the Federal Communications 
                        Commission determines that a provider's 
                        compliance with the reporting requirements is 
                        cost prohibitive, as defined by the Federal 
                        Communications Commission.
                    (D) Report.--The Federal Communications Commission 
                shall provide to Congress on an annual basis a report, 
                using available Census Bureau data, containing the 
                following information for each service area that is not 
                served by any broadband service provider:
                            (i) Population.
                            (ii) Population density.
                            (iii) Average per capita income.
    (h) Regulations.--The Federal Communications Commission may 
prescribe such regulations as may be necessary and appropriate to carry 
out this section.
    (i) Definitions.--As used in this section--
            (1) the term ``the Fund'' means the Broadband Access Trust 
        Fund established pursuant to subsection (a); and
            (2) the term ``the board'' means the board of directors 
        established pursuant to subsection (b).

SEC. 5. USDA BROADBAND PROGRAM REFORMS.

    (a) Reauthorization.--Section 601(k) of the Rural Electrification 
Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb(k)) is amended by striking ``2007'' and 
inserting ``2012''.
    (b) Clarification of Eligible Rural Community.--Section 601(b)(2) 
of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb(b)(2)) is 
amended to read as follows:
            ``(2) Eligible rural community.--The term `eligible rural 
        community' means any area of the United States that is not--
                    ``(A) included within the boundaries of any 
                incorporated city, village, borough, or town with a 
                population in excess of 25,000 inhabitants;
                    ``(B) located within 10 miles of any such city, 
                village, borough, or town; and
                    ``(C) an area where a majority of its residential 
                customers have access to broadband service offered at a 
                price per megabit of download speed and upload speed 
                comparable to the nearest urban area.''.
    (c) Additional Requirements for Eligible Entities.--Section 601 of 
the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``(1) In 
                general.--''; and
                    (B) by striking paragraph (2); and
            (2) in subsection (d)(1)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``; and'' and 
                inserting a semicolon;
                    (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) demonstrate that any loan or loan guarantee 
                obtained under this section will be used only to 
                furnish, improve, or extend broadband service to those 
                eligible rural communities.''.
    (d) Community Connect Grant Program.--Title VI of the Rural 
Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb et seq.) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 602. COMMUNITY CONNECT GRANT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are--
            ``(1) to provide financial assistance in the form of grants 
        to eligible applicants that will provide, on a community-
        oriented connectivity basis, broadband service that fosters 
        economic growth and delivers enhanced educational, health care, 
        and public safety services; and
            ``(2) to ensure the deployment of broadband service to 
        extremely rural, lower-income communities on a community-
        oriented connectivity basis.
    ``(b) Grants Authorized.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may award a grant to any 
        eligible applicant to provide broadband services in accordance 
        with the provisions of this section.
            ``(2) Award basis.--The Secretary shall award grants under 
        this section on a competitive basis.
    ``(c) Eligible Applicant.--To be eligible to obtain a grant under 
this section, an applicant shall--
            ``(1) be--
                    ``(A) legally organized as an incorporated 
                organization;
                    ``(B) an Indian tribe or tribal organization, as 
                defined in subsections (b) and (c) of section 4 of the 
                Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act 
                (25 U.S.C. 450b(b) and (c));
                    ``(C) a State or local unit of government;
                    ``(D) an institution of higher education; or
                    ``(E) any other legal entity, including a 
                cooperative, a private corporation, or a limited 
                liability company organized on a for-profit or not-for-
                profit basis;
            ``(2) have the legal capacity and authority to--
                    ``(A) own and operate the broadband facilities 
                proposed in its application;
                    ``(B) enter into contracts; and
                    ``(C) otherwise comply with applicable Federal 
                statutes and regulations; and
            ``(3) develop a project that--
                    ``(A) serves an eligible rural community;
                    ``(B) deploys basic broadband service, free of all 
                charges for at least 2 years, to all critical community 
                facilities located within a proposed service area;
                    ``(C) offers basic broadband service to residential 
                and business customers within a proposed service area; 
                and
                    ``(D) provides--
                            ``(i) a community center with at least 10 
                        computer access points within a proposed 
                        service area; and
                            ``(ii) broadband service to such centers 
                        free of charge for at least 2 years.
    ``(d) Application.--
            ``(1) Submission.--Each applicant seeking a grant under 
        this section shall submit an application containing--
                    ``(A) any information or documentation required 
                under section 1739.15 of title 7, Code of Federal 
                Regulations; and
                    ``(B) such other information or documentation that 
                the Secretary may require.
            ``(2) Review and scoring of applications.--The Secretary 
        shall review and score any applications received under this 
        section using the same methods, and in the same manner, as 
        described in sections 1739.16 and 1739.17 of title 7, Code of 
        Federal Regulations.
    ``(e) Use of Funds.--A grant awarded to an eligible applicant 
pursuant to this section may be used to--
            ``(1) construct, acquire, or lease facilities, including 
        spectrum, to deploy broadband service to all participating 
        critical community facilities and all required facilities 
        needed to offer such service to residential and business 
        customers located within a proposed service area;
            ``(2) improve, expand, construct, or acquire a community 
        center that furnishes free access to broadband service, 
        provided that such community center is open and accessible to 
        area residents before, during, and after normal working hours 
        and on Saturday or Sunday;
            ``(3) purchase any end user equipment needed to carry out 
        the project of the applicant described in subsection (c)(3);
            ``(4) pay the operating expenses incurred in providing--
                    ``(A) broadband service to critical community 
                facilities for the first 2 years of operation; and
                    ``(B) training and instruction on how to use such 
                services; and
            ``(5) purchase any land, building, or building construction 
        needed to carry out the project of the applicant described in 
        subsection (c)(3).
    ``(f) Matching Requirement.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each eligible applicant shall contribute 
        not less than 15 percent of the grant amount requested in any 
        application.
            ``(2) Form.--The matching contribution described in 
        paragraph (1) may be in the following form:
                    ``(A) Cash for eligible grant purposes.
                    ``(B) In-kind contributions for purposes that could 
                have been financed with grant funds under this section. 
                In-kind contributions shall be new or non-depreciated 
                assets with established monetary values. Manufacturers' 
                or service providers' discounts shall not be considered 
                a matching contribution.
                    ``(C) The rental value of space provided within an 
                existing community center, provided that such space is 
                provided free of charge to such applicant, for the 
                first 2 years of operation.
                    ``(D) Salary expenses incurred for any individual 
                operating the community center, for the first 2 years 
                of operation.
                    ``(E) Expenses incurred in operating a community 
                center, for the first 2 years of operation.
            ``(3) Prior costs.--Costs incurred by an applicant, or by 
        others on behalf of an applicant, for facilities, installed 
        equipment, or other services rendered prior to submission of a 
        completed application shall not be considered an acceptable use 
        of grant funds under subsection (e) or a matching contribution.
            ``(4) Rental values.--Rental values of space provided, as 
        described in paragraph (1)(C), shall be substantiated by rental 
        agreements documenting the cost of space of a similar size in a 
        similar location.
            ``(5) Reasonableness review.--Rental values, salaries, and 
        other expenses incurred in operating a community center shall 
        be subject to review by the Secretary for reasonableness in 
        relation to the scope of the applicant's project described in 
        subsection (c)(3).
            ``(6) Other assistance.--Any financial assistance from any 
        other Federal source shall not be considered a matching 
        contribution under this section unless there is a Federal 
        statutory exception specifically authorizing the Federal 
        financial assistance to be considered as such.
    ``(g) Other Requirements.--Each applicant shall comply with the 
reporting, oversight, and auditing requirements described in sections 
1739.19 and 1739.20 of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations.
    ``(h) Definitions.--As used in this section:
            ``(1) Basic broadband service.--The term `basic broadband 
        service' means the broadband service level provided by an 
        applicant at the lowest rate or service package level for 
        residential or business customers, as appropriate, provided 
        that such service meets the requirements of this section.
            ``(2) Broadband service.--The term `broadband service' 
        means providing an information-rate equivalent to at least 200 
        kilobits/second in the consumer's connection to the network, 
        both from the provider to the consumer (downstream) and from 
        the consumer to the provider (upstream).
            ``(3) Community center.--The term `community center'--
                    ``(A) means a public building, or a section of a 
                public building with at least 10 computer access 
                points, that is used for the purposes of providing free 
                access to or instruction in the use of broadband 
                service, and is of the appropriate size to accommodate 
                this purpose; and
                    ``(B) may include schools, libraries, or a city 
                hall.
            ``(4) Computer access point.--The term `computer access 
        point' means a computer terminal with access to basic broadband 
        service.
            ``(5) Critical community facilities.--The term `critical 
        community facilities' means any public school or education 
        center, public library, public medical clinic, public hospital, 
        community college, public university, or any law enforcement, 
        fire, or ambulance station in a proposed service area.
            ``(6) End user equipment.--The term `end user equipment' 
        means computer hardware and software, audio or video equipment, 
        computer network components, telecommunications terminal 
        equipment, inside wiring, interactive video equipment, or other 
        facilities required for the provision and use of broadband 
        service.
            ``(7) Rural area.--The term `rural area' means any area of 
        the United States that is not--
                    ``(A) included within the boundaries of any 
                incorporated or unincorporated city, village, borough, 
                or town with a population in excess of 25,000 
                inhabitants; and
                    ``(B) located within 10 miles of any such city, 
                village, borough, or town.
            ``(8) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
            ``(9) Service area.--The term `service area' means a single 
        community, and may include the unincorporated areas or locally 
        recognized communities, not recognized in the most recent 
        decennial census performed by the Bureau of the Census, located 
        outside and contiguous to the boundaries of such community, in 
        which the applicant proposes to provide broadband service.
            ``(10) Spectrum.--The term `spectrum' means a defined band 
        of frequencies that will accommodate broadband service.''.

SEC. 6. USDA RULEMAKING.

    The Secretary of Agriculture shall initiate and complete a 
rulemaking to--
            (1) consider and adopt, as necessary in the discretion of 
        the Secretary, the recommendations set forth in audit report 
        09601-4-Te, issued in September 2005, entitled ``Rural 
        Utilities Service Broadband Grant and Loan Programs'' by the 
        Inspector General of the United States Department of 
        Agriculture; and
            (2) review and propose recommendations as to how to best 
        coordinate the application process of the broadband loan and 
        loan guarantee program under section 601 of the Rural 
        Electrification Act of 1936 and the Community Connect Grant 
        program under section 602 of such Act, as added by section 2 of 
        this Act.

SEC. 7. UNLICENSED DEVICES FOR RURAL WIRELESS BROADBAND.

    (a) Completion of Order.--Not later than 18 months after date of 
enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission shall 
issue a final order in the matter of Unlicensed Operation in TV 
Broadcast Bands, ET Docket No. 04-186.
    (b) Conditions.--In completing the final order described in 
subsection (a), the Federal Communications Commission shall--
            (1) permit certified unlicensed devices to use, in non-
        exclusive terms, unassigned, non-licensed television broadcast 
        channels between 54 MHz and 698 MHz in rural areas;
            (2) protect incumbent certified low power auxiliary 
        stations from harmful interference by requiring certification 
        of unlicensed devices prior to permitting such devices to 
        access or use unassigned, non-licensed television broadcast 
        channels between 54 MHz and 698 MHz in rural areas, and 
        including in the certification proof of successful completion 
        of laboratory and field testing by an independent laboratory 
        demonstrating that unlicensed devices do not cause harmful 
        interference to incumbent certified low power auxiliary 
        stations;
            (3) protect incumbent certified low power auxiliary 
        stations from harmful interference by prohibiting certified 
        unlicensed devices from operating on any television broadcast 
        channel between 54 MHz and 698 MHz in rural areas already in 
        use by an incumbent certified low power auxiliary station; and
            (4) consider additional ways to protect incumbent certified 
        low power auxiliary stations from harmful interference, such as 
        reserving certain television broadcast channels for exclusive 
        use by incumbent certified low power auxiliary stations.
    (c) Definitions.--As used in this section:
            (1) Certified unlicensed device.--The term ``certified 
        unlicensed device'' means any unlicensed device certified under 
        subsection (b)(2)(D) operating in a fixed location, whose 
        primary purpose is to provide broadband service to rural areas.
            (2) Incumbent certified low power auxiliary station.--The 
        term ``incumbent certified low power auxiliary station'' means 
        any certified low power wireless microphone, personal wireless 
        monitor, or other audio auxiliary equipment operating on 
        television broadcast channels between 54 MHz and 698 MHz, used 
        for entertainment, religious, news-gathering, governmental, 
        business, or personal consumer purposes to provide real-time, 
        high-quality audio transmissions over distances of 
        approximately 100 meters.
            (3) Rural area.--The term ``rural area'' means any rural 
        service area or rural statistical area, as defined by the 
        Federal Communications Commission.

SEC. 8. SPECTRUM AUCTION FOR RURAL WIRELESS BROADBAND.

    Not later than February 1, 2007, the Federal Communications 
Commission shall initiate a proceeding--
            (1) to reevaluate and reconfigure its band plans for the 
        upper 700 MHz band (currently designated Auction 31) and for 
        the unauctioned portions of the lower 700 MHz band (currently 
        designated as Channel Blocks A, B, and E) so as to designate up 
        to 12 MHz of paired recovered analog spectrum (as defined in 
        section 309(j)(15)(C)(vi) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
        U.S.C. 309(j)(15)(C)(vi))); and
            (2) to reconfigure its band plans to include spectrum to be 
        licensed for small geographic license areas, taking into 
        consideration the desire to promote infrastructure build-out 
        and service to rural and insular areas and the competitive 
        benefits, unique characteristics, and special needs of rural, 
        regional, and smaller wireless carriers.

SEC. 9. PUBLIC-PRIVATE TASK FORCE ON BROADBAND INITIATIVES.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a task force to be known 
as the ``Rural Broadband Access Task Force'' (referred to in this 
section as the ``Task Force'').
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The Task Force established under this 
        section shall be composed of 11 members, of whom--
                    (A) 3 shall be appointed by the President;
                    (B) 2 shall be appointed by the Majority Leader of 
                the Senate;
                    (C) 2 shall be appointed by the minority Leader of 
                the Senate;
                    (D) 2 shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
                House of Representatives; and
                    (E) 2 shall be appointed by the minority Leader of 
                the House of Representatives.
            (2) Qualifications.--The membership of the Task Force 
        established under this section shall include--
                    (A) at least 6 members of whom--
                            (i) all shall be recognized experts in the 
                        field of communications;
                            (ii) 2 shall be employees of the Federal 
                        Government;
                            (iii) 2 shall be employees of State 
                        governments; and
                            (iv) 2 shall be employees of local 
                        governments;
                    (B) at least 1 member who shall be a representative 
                of a consumer or public interest organization;
                    (C) at least 1 member who shall be a representative 
                of interested trade associations;
                    (D) at least 1 member who shall be a representative 
                of interested academic institutions; and
                    (E) at least 2 members all of whom shall be 
                especially qualified to serve on the Task Force by 
                virtue of their education, training, or experience, 
                particularly in the field of rural communications 
                access issues.
            (3) Chairperson.--Each year, the Task Force shall elect a 
        Chairperson from among its members.
            (4) Vice chair.--Each year, the Task Force shall elect a 
        Vice Chair from among its members.
    (c) Duties.--The Task Force shall--
            (1) conduct a comprehensive survey of legislative, 
        regulatory, or administrative policies or programs adopted by 
        States to encourage rapid deployment of broadband services;
            (2) study policies or programs that have been successful in 
        providing incentives for communications carriers to deploy or 
        expand services in areas that lacked such services before the 
        introduction of such incentives; and
            (3) study traditional incentives, such as tax credits or 
        financial subsidies, as well as innovative efforts, including 
        public and private partnership programs and best practices that 
        have worked well in encouraging communications carriers to 
        deploy or expand services in areas that lacked such services, 
        particularly in those States with large unserved rural areas.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 6 months after all the members of the 
Task Force have been appointed under subsection (b), the Task Force 
shall submit a report to Congress and to the governor of each State 
detailing a comprehensive list of policies and programs adopted by 
States that have succeeded in providing incentives for communications 
carriers to deploy or expand services in areas that lacked such 
services before the introduction of such incentives.
    (e) Working Groups.--
            (1) In general.--The Task Force may establish such working 
        groups as the Task Force determines necessary in order to 
        assist the Task Force in carrying out this subsection.
            (2) Membership.--Any working group established under 
        paragraph (1) may include such members as the Task Force 
        determines necessary, including individuals who were not 
        appointed as a member of the Task Force under subsection (b).
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.
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