[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.
____________________