H.R. 2784 amends federal law to make it a crime to destroy or damage broadband internet infrastructure, expanding existing protections that previously applied only to military and civil defense communications systems. The bill specifically adds broadband internet access service to the list of protected communications facilities under federal law, and clarifies that the protections apply to infrastructure operated by any person or entity, not just the government. The legislation defines broadband service broadly to include any mass-market retail service that allows users to transmit and receive data across the internet, as well as any equivalent services that the Federal Communications Commission identifies. The bill does not establish new funding or implementation timelines. This change would allow federal prosecutors to charge individuals or entities with a federal crime for intentionally destroying or damaging broadband infrastructure, similar to existing penalties for damaging other critical communications systems.
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