[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3994 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3994

 To establish the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 6, 2017

 Mr. Tonko (for himself and Mr. Lance) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To establish the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth, 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 ``Advancing Critical Connectivity 
Expands Service, Small Business Resources, Opportunities, Access, and 
Data Based on Assessed Need and Demand Act'' or the ``ACCESS BROADBAND 
Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OFFICE OF INTERNET CONNECTIVITY AND 
              GROWTH.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Assistant Secretary shall establish the Office of Internet 
Connectivity and Growth within the National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration.

SEC. 3. DUTIES.

    (a) Outreach.--The Office shall--
            (1) connect with communities that need access to high-speed 
        internet and improved digital inclusion efforts through various 
        forms of outreach and communication techniques;
            (2) hold regional workshops across the country to share 
        best practices and effective strategies for promoting broadband 
        access and adoption;
            (3) develop targeted broadband training and presentations 
        for various demographic communities through various media; and
            (4) develop and distribute publications (including 
        toolkits, primers, manuals, and white papers) providing 
        guidance, strategies, and insights to communities as the 
        communities develop strategies to expand broadband access and 
        adoption.
    (b) Tracking of Federal Dollars.--
            (1) Broadband infrastructure.--The Office shall track the 
        construction and use of any broadband infrastructure built 
        using any Federal support in a central database.
            (2) Accounting mechanism.--The Office shall develop a 
        streamlined accounting mechanism by which any agency offering a 
        Federal broadband support program and the Commission through 
        the Universal Service Fund shall provide the information 
        described in paragraph (1) in a standardized and efficient 
        fashion.
            (3) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, and every year thereafter, the Office 
        shall make public on the website of the Office and submit to 
        the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
        Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
        Transportation of the Senate a report on the following:
                    (A) A description of the work of the Office for the 
                previous year and the number of residents of the United 
                States that received broadband as result of Federal 
                broadband support programs and the Universal Service 
                Fund program.
                    (B) A description of how many residents of the 
                United States were provided broadband by which 
                universal service mechanism or which Federal broadband 
                support program.
                    (C) An estimate of the economic impact of such 
                broadband deployment efforts on the local economy, 
                including any effect on small businesses or jobs.

SEC. 4. STREAMLINED APPLICATIONS FOR SUPPORT.

    (a) Agency Consultation.--The Office shall consult with any agency 
offering a Federal broadband support program to streamline and 
standardize the applications process for such program.
    (b) Agency Streamlining.--Any agency offering a Federal broadband 
support program shall amend their applications for broadband support, 
to the extent practicable and as necessary, to streamline and 
standardize applications for Federal broadband support programs across 
the Government.
    (c) Single Application.--To the greatest extent practicable, the 
Office shall seek to create one application that may be submitted to 
apply for all, or substantially all, Federal broadband support 
programs.
    (d) Website Required.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Office shall create a central website 
through which potential applicants can learn about and apply for 
support through any Federal broadband support program.

SEC. 5. COORDINATION OF SUPPORT.

    The Office, any agency that offers a Federal broadband support 
program, and the Commission through the Universal Service Fund shall 
coordinate with the Office to ensure that support is being distributed 
in an efficient manner, in a financial sustainable manner, with the 
goal of serving the largest number of persons in the United States 
while promoting the most job and economic growth for all residents of 
the United States.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
            (2) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary'' 
        means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications 
        and Information.
            (3) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Communications Commission.
            (4) Federal broadband support program.--The term ``Federal 
        broadband support program'' does not include any Universal 
        Service Fund program and means any of the following programs 
        (or any other similar Federal program) to the extent the 
        program offers broadband internet service for residential, 
        commercial, or academic establishments:
                    (A) The Telecommunications and Technology Program 
                of the Appalachian Regional Commission.
                    (B) The Telecommunications Infrastructure Loans and 
                Loan Guarantees, the Rural Broadband Access Loans and 
                Loan Guarantees, the Substantially Underserved Trust 
                Areas Provisions, the Community Connect Grant Program, 
                and the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant 
                Program of the Rural Utilities Service of the 
                Department of Agriculture.
                    (C) The Public Works and Economic Adjustment 
                Assistance Programs and the Planning and Local 
                Technical Assistance Programs of the Economic 
                Development Administration of the Department of 
                Commerce.
                    (D) The Community Development Block Grants and 
                Section 108 Loan Guarantees, the Funds for Public 
                Housing Authorities: Capital Fund and Operating Fund, 
                the Multifamily Housing, the Indian Community 
                Development Block Grant Program, the Indian Housing 
                Block Grant Program, the Title VI Loan Guarantee 
                Program, Choice Neighborhoods, the HOME Investment 
                Partnerships Program, the Housing Trust Fund, and the 
                Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS of the 
                Department of Housing and Urban Development.
                    (E) The American Job Centers of the Employment and 
                Training Administration of the Department of Labor.
                    (F) The Native American Library Services Basic 
                Grants, the Native American Library Services 
                Enhancement Grants, the Native Hawaiian Library 
                Services Grants, the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian 
                Program, the National Leadership Grants for Libraries, 
                and the Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries of the 
                Office of Library Services of the Institute of Museum 
                and Library Services.
            (5) Office.--The term ``Office'' means the Office of 
        Internet Connectivity and Growth established pursuant to 
        section 2.
            (6) Universal service fund program.--The term ``Universal 
        Service Fund program'' means any program authorized under 
        section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) 
        to help deploy broadband.
            (7) Universal service mechanism.--The term ``universal 
        service mechanism'' means any funding stream provided by a 
        Universal Service Fund program to support broadband access.
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