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1 1 (December 22, 2023)

handle is hein.crs/govenuu0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service nformirg 1h Iegisiative debatesincel1914 Farm Bill Primer: Rural Broadband Provisions Since 2002, Congress has included provisions addressing rural broadband (i.e., high-speed internet access) in the rural development title of farm bills. The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 farm bill; P.L. 115-334) amended, reauthorized, and codified many of the rural broadband programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through FY2023. As a result, many of the USDA rural broadband programs expired on September 30, 2023. Congress enacted a one-year extension of the 2018 farm bill through P.L. 118-22 (§102, Division B), which extended authorization of appropriations through FY2024. As a result, many of the USDA broadband programs are set to expire on September 30, 2024. This In Focus provides background information on USDA rural broadband programs, an overview of selected provisions in the 2018 farm bill, and issues for Congress as it drafts the next farm bill. Background According to a 2021 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) report, about 11 million or 17% of people living in rural areas in the United States lack broadband access at speeds of at least 25 megabits per second download and 3 megabits per second upload (i.e., 25/3 Mbps). The FCC found that 750,000 or 36% of people living on rural tribal lands lack broadband service. The USDA Rural Utilities Service administers five programs to support broadband deployment in rural areas: The Community Connect Grant Program, which provides grants to deploy broadband to economically distressed communities and their essential community facilities (7 U.S.C. §950bb-3); The Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program, which provides grants to help rural communities acquire the technology and training to connect educational and medical professionals with students, teachers, and patients in rural areas (7 U.S.C. §950aaa-2); The ReConnect Program, which provides grants, loans, and loan-grant combinations to build and update facilities or equipment needed to provide broadband access to rural areas (7 U.S.C. §§901 et seq.); The Rural Broadband Program, which provides loans and loan guarantees to construct or improve facilities and equipment used to provide broadband access to rural areas (7 U.S.C. §950bb); and The Telecommunications Infrastructure Program, which provides loans and loan guarantees for the construction, Updated December 22, 2023 maintenance, and expansion of broadband and telephone service in rural areas (7 U.S.C. §935). These programs support the broadband deployment in rural areas. Many of these programs define a rural area in statute as any area not located within (1) a city, town, or incorporated area that has a population of greater than 20,000, or (2) an urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to a city or town that has a population of greater than 50,000 inhabitants (7 U.S.C. §950bb(b)(3)(A)). Congress provides discretionary funding for the USDA broadband programs through annual appropriations acts. Congress has also provided additional funding for the programs through supplemental appropriations laws such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58). 2018 Farm Bill Provisions Title VI-Rural Development of the 2018 farm bill includes the following rural broadband provisions. Community Connect Grant Program Congress codified the Community Connect Grant Program. Congress authorized appropriations of $50 million annually for the program through FY2024. Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program Congress required USDA to set aside at least 20% of the funding for the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program for telemedicine projects that provide substance abuse treatment services through FY2025. Congress increased the authorization of appropriations for the program from $75 million to $82 million annually through FY2024. Rural Broadband Program Congress added a grant component to the Rural Broadband Program. Prior to the 2018 farm bill, the program authority was limited to loans and loan guarantees. To date, Congress has provided funding for loans and loan guarantees but not for grants. Congress directed USDA to prioritize funding for applications for projects that serve rural communities without broadband service to homes of at least 10 megabits per second download and 1 megabit per second upload (10/1 Mbps). Congress also required USDA to prioritize applications for projects that provide broadband service to rural communities with other characteristics such as a population of less than 10,000 permanent residents, experiencing outmigration, isolated from other population centers, or with a high percentage of low-income families or people.

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