S. 1642 · 118th Congress
ReConnecting Rural America Act of 2023
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 118th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
D
WelchSponsor3 cosponsors · 1 D, 2 R
1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill merges the pilot ReConnect Loan and Grant Program with existing loans and grants provided by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to facilitate broadband access to rural areas that lack sufficient access to broadband.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · May 17, 2023
ReConnecting Rural America Act of 2023
This bill merges the pilot ReConnect Loan and Grant Program with existing loans and grants provided by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to facilitate broadband access to rural areas that lack sufficient access to broadband. It also requires that any unobligated amounts available for the pilot program be transferred and made available, without further appropriations, to the merged program. The bill authorizes the merged program through FY2028.
The bill specifies the eligibility criteria and other requirements that apply to the merged program, some of which are the same as the criteria and requirements that currently apply to the pilot program (e.g., the required minimum upload and download speeds).
Further, the bill (1) eliminates the authority of USDA to make loan guarantees, and (2) authorizes USDA to make combinations of grants and loans.
The bill also requires that recipients of grants and loans participate in specified federal programs that assist low-income individuals access broadband and telecommunication services.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: ReConnecting Rural America Act of 2023
Latest action (May 17, 2023): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications · Origin: Senate · Introduced: May 17, 2023
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.