[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1639 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1639

To amend the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, and for other purposes.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 18, 2013

  Mr. Gibson (for himself and Mr. Schrader) introduced the following 
   bill; which was 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, 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. AMENDMENTS TO THE RURAL ELECTRIFICATION ACT OF 1936.

    Section 601 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 
950bb) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``loans and loan 
        guarantees'' and inserting ``loans, loan guarantees, and 
        grants'';
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``, and may make 
                grants,'' after ``loans''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``, and in 
                making grants,'' before ``under paragraph (1)'';
            (3) in subsection (d), by adding at the end the following:
            ``(8) Additional process.--The Secretary shall establish a 
        process under which an incumbent service provider which, as of 
        the date of the publication of notice under paragraph (5) with 
        respect to an application submitted by the provider, is 
        providing broadband service to a remote rural area, may (but 
        shall not be required to) submit to the Secretary, not less 
        than 15 and not more than 30 days after that date, information 
        regarding the broadband services that the provider offers in 
        the proposed service territory, so that the Secretary may 
        assess whether the application meets the requirements of this 
        section with respect to eligible projects.'';
            (4) in subsection (e), by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Requirement.--In considering the technology needs of 
        customers in a proposed service territory, the Secretary shall 
        take into consideration the upgrade or replacement cost for the 
        construction or acquisition of facilities and equipment in the 
        territory.'';
            (5) by redesignating subsections (k) and (l) as subsections 
        (l) and (m), respectively, and inserting after subsection (j) 
        the following:
    ``(k) Matching Grants.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may make a grant to an 
        entity for a project with respect to which a loan or loan 
        guarantee is made under this section.
            ``(2) Amount.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The amount of the grant shall 
                not exceed 10 percent of the cost of the project.
                    ``(B) Match requirement.--The Secretary may not 
                make a grant to an entity for a project unless the 
                entity has made a binding commitment to the Secretary 
                that the entity will provide for the project, from non-
                Federal sources, an amount equal to the amount of the 
                grant.'';
            (6) in subsection (l) (as so redesignated)--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(1) Limitations on authorization of appropriations.--
        There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to 
        carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each 
        of fiscal years 2013 through 2017, to remain available until 
        expended. Of the sums made available to carry out this section 
        for a fiscal year--
                    ``(A) 70 percent shall be available for the cost of 
                loans and loan guarantees under this section; and
                    ``(B) 30 percent shall be available for grants 
                under this section.''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in the paragraph heading, insert ``loan 
                        and loan guarantee'' before ``funds''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (A), by inserting 
                        ``for loans and loan guarantees'' before 
                        ``under this subsection''; and
            (7) in subsection (m) (as so redesignated), by striking 
        ``2013'' and inserting ``2017''.
                                 <all>