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.
H.R. 8147, the Prioritizing Rural Broadband Affordability Act, requires the Department of Agriculture to consider whether broadband service is affordable when deciding which rural communities qualify for federal broadband grants and funding. Currently, the department primarily focuses on whether areas have access to broadband service, but this bill adds affordability as a key factor in determining which projects receive support. The legislation amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to ensure that rural households and service territories are evaluated not just on whether broadband is available, but whether residents can actually afford to use it. The bill takes effect one year after it becomes law, giving the department time to implement the new affordability requirement into its grant-awarding process for rural broadband programs.
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