[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 43 (Monday, March 11, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H1074-H1076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ELIMINATING BARRIERS TO RURAL INTERNET DEVELOPMENT GRANT ELIGIBILITY 
                                  ACT

  Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 1752) to amend the Public Works and Economic 
Development Act of 1965 to provide for a high-speed broadband 
deployment initiative, as amended.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On March 11, 2024, page H1074, in the first column, the 
following appeared: Public Works and Economic Development Act of 
1965 to provide for a high-speed broadband deployment initiative.
  
  The online version has been corrected to read: Public Works and 
Economic Development Act of 1965 to provide for a high-speed 
broadband deployment initiative, as amended.


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 


  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1752

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SEC. 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. APPLICABILITY.

       The amendments made by this Act shall only apply to amounts 
     appropriated on or after the date of enactment of this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Graves) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their 
remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on H.R. 1752.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I am very proud to sponsor H.R. 1752, the Eliminating Barriers to 
Rural Internet Development Grant Eligibility Act, or the E-BRIDGE Act.
  Unfortunately, too many of our communities, particularly in rural 
Missouri, still lack broadband access.
  Broadband is critical for conducting business, for attracting jobs, 
telehealth, education, and emergency preparedness and response--you 
name it.
  While Economic Development Administration grants can be used to 
attract jobs to these economically distressed areas, right now, there 
are hurdles to using these grants for broadband projects, including 
difficult

[[Page H1075]]

last-mile efforts that often delay rural broadband deployment.
  This bill removes those hurdles to help connect and revitalize our 
rural communities.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this legislation, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
                                         House of Representatives,


                                      Committee on the Budget,

                               Washington, DC, September 27, 2023.
     Hon. Sam Graves,
     Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 
         Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Graves: I am writing regarding H.R. 1752, the 
     E-Bridge Act, which was ordered reported by the Committee on 
     Transportation and Infrastructure on July 27, 2023.
       The bill contains provisions that fall within the 
     jurisdiction of the Committee on the Budget. In order to 
     expedite House consideration of H.R. 1752, the Committee on 
     the Budget will forgo action on this bill. This is being done 
     with the understanding that it does not waive any 
     jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in H.R. 1752 
     or similar legislation and that the Committee will be 
     appropriately consulted and involved as this bill or similar 
     legislation moves forward so that the Committee may address 
     any remaining issues that fall within its jurisdiction. The 
     Committee on the Budget also reserves the right to seek 
     appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any 
     House-Senate conference involving this or similar legislation 
     and requests your support of any such request.
       I would appreciate a response to this letter confirming 
     this understanding with respect to H.R. 1752 and would ask 
     that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be 
     included in your committee report and in the Congressional 
     Record during floor consideration of H.R. 1752.
           Sincerely,
                                               Jodey C. Arrington,
     Chairman, Committee on the Budget.
                                  ____

         Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of 
           Representatives,
                               Washington, DC, September 27, 2023.
     Hon. Jodey Arrington,
     Chairman, Committee on the Budget,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Arrington: Thank you for your letter 
     regarding H.R. 1752, the Eliminating Barriers to Rural 
     Internet Development Grant Eligibility (E-BRIDGE) Act. The 
     bill was referred primarily to the Committee on 
     Transportation and Infrastructure, with additional referrals 
     to the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on 
     the Budget.
       In response to your letter, I recognize that this bill 
     contains provisions that fall within the jurisdiction of the 
     Committee on the Budget. I also acknowledge that your 
     Committee's decision to forgo consideration would not 
     prejudice your Committee regarding the appointment of 
     conferees, to any future jurisdictional claim over the 
     subject matters contained in the bill, or to similar 
     legislation falling under your Committee's Rule X 
     jurisdiction. In addition, should a conference on this bill 
     become necessary, I would support your request to have 
     members of the Committee on the Budget represented on the 
     conference committee.
       I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included the 
     Congressional Record during consideration on the House floor. 
     Thank you again, I appreciate your cooperation regarding this 
     legislation and look forward to continuing to work with you 
     as this measure moves through the legislative process.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Sam Graves,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                              Committee on Financial Services,

                               Washington, DC, September 25, 2023.
     Hon. Sam Graves,
     Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, 
         House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Graves: Thank you for consulting with the 
     Committee on Financial Services regarding H.R. 1752, the E-
     BRIDGE Act. I agree that the Committee shall be discharged 
     from further consideration of the bill so that it may proceed 
     expeditiously to the House Floor. The Committee takes this 
     action with the mutual understanding that, by foregoing 
     consideration of H.R. 1752 at this time, we do not waive any 
     jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in this or 
     similar legislation, and that the Committee will be 
     appropriately consulted and involved on this or similar 
     legislation as it moves forward. The Committee also reserves 
     the right to see appointment of an appropriate number of 
     conferees to any conference with the Senate involving this or 
     similar legislation, and we request your support for any such 
     request.
       Finally, as you mentioned in your letter, I ask that a copy 
     of our exchange of letters on this bill be included in your 
     Committee's report to accompany the legislation, as well as 
     in the Congressional Record during floor consideration.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Patrick McHenry,
     Chairman, Committee on Financial Services.
                                  ____

         Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House of 
           Representatives,
                               Washington, DC, September 26, 2023.
     Hon. Patrick McHenry,
     Chairman, Committee on Financial Services,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman McHenry: Thank you for your letter regarding 
     H.R. 1752, the Eliminating Barriers to Rural Internet 
     Development Grant Eligibility (E-BRIDGE) Act. The bill was 
     referred primarily to the Committee on Transportation and 
     Infrastructure, with additional referrals to the Committee on 
     Financial Services and the Committee on the Budget.
       In response to your letter, I recognize that this bill 
     contains provisions that fall within the jurisdiction of the 
     Committee on Financial Services. I also acknowledge that your 
     Committee's decision to forgo consideration would not 
     prejudice your Committee regarding the appointment of 
     conferees, to any future jurisdictional claim over the 
     subject matters contained in the bill, or to similar 
     legislation falling under your Committee's Rule X 
     jurisdiction. In addition, should a conference on this bill 
     become necessary, I would support your request to have 
     members of the Committee on Financial Services represented on 
     the conference committee.
       I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included the 
     Congressional Record during consideration on the House floor. 
     Thank you again, I appreciate your cooperation regarding this 
     legislation and look forward to continuing to work with you 
     as this measure moves through the legislative process.
       Thank you for your consideration of my request.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Sam Graves,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1752, as well, the E-BRIDGE 
Act, which creates high-speed broadband opportunities at the Economic 
Development Administration and for the public, both in rural areas and 
in inner city, underserved areas. It makes public-private partnerships 
and consortiums eligible for grant awards.
  Without having access to broadband, you can't keep up economically or 
socially.
  Access to reliable high-speed internet is a vital tool for 
participation in today's workforce and economy. Despite a clear 
commitment to broadband access across Federal agencies, E-BRIDGE is 
still necessary.
  While the EDA can fund the deployment of broadband infrastructure in 
communities most in need of assistance, many communities lack the 
financial and technical resources necessary to apply for these funds.
  By clarifying that public-private partnerships and consortiums are 
eligible, the E-BRIDGE Act enables communities to leverage private 
sector expertise without disqualifying them from receiving EDA 
assistance.
  The bill provides grant applications with additional flexibility in 
financing broadband infrastructure projects by clarifying that EDA 
funds can be combined with other Federal resources and allowing real or 
personal property to count toward the non-Federal share of a project's 
costs.
  The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Graves has 
introduced this legislation in the 116th and 117th Congresses. In the 
117th Congress, the bill passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan 
support by a vote of 410-16.
  I support this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. 
I thank Mr. Graves for pursuing this legislation again, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Molinaro).
  Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Graves for yielding. I 
rise in support of H.R. 1752, the Eliminating Barriers for Rural 
Internet Development Grant Eligibility Act, or E-BRIDGE.
  This bill will help to attract and support businesses in rural areas 
of the country by eliminating barriers to investment in broadband 
projects and provide these projects with the flexibility needed to be 
successful.
  We all know that access to reliable internet is essential for small 
businesses, families, and farms, along with schools. It touches all 
aspects of residential and commercial life.
  Yet, too many families and businesses don't have access to high-speed 
internet, so it is imperative that we work to bridge the digital divide 
and ensure communities across America, like those in upstate New, York 
do not get left behind in funding opportunities for broadband 
expansion.

[[Page H1076]]

  


                              {time}  1630

  Without adequate broadband infrastructure, rural communities like 
those I represent face obstacles in education, healthcare, economic 
development, and overall social well-being.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bill. I am grateful 
to the chairman and the bipartisan support of the bill, and I urge my 
colleagues to support it.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, as has been discussed, this bill would help 
close the digital divide and help communities across the country 
connect to reliable high-speed vital for participation in today's 
workforce and economy.
  In Mr. Graves' own State of Missouri, it would allow people in the 
bootheel of Missouri to connect so much closer to the city of Memphis, 
where they will want to come and hear music, eat barbecue, and watch 
the Cardinals' farm team play baseball.
  Mr. Speaker, I support the legislation and urge all my colleagues to 
do the same, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1752, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. GRAVES of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________