Broadband Incentives for Communities Act | ChamberLight
Bills · HR 2975
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
House BillHR 2975Science, Technology, Communications
Broadband Incentives for Communities Act
INTRO APR 21· LAST ACTION APR 21
READING
5MIN
COSPONSORS
1
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
Introduced only
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8
Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed House
Passed Senate
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-written
Local governments, including cities, counties, and Indian Tribes, would be most directly affected as they can apply for these grants. The bill aims to give them resources to improve their administrative processes for approving broadband construction.
Companies that build internet infrastructure, such as internet service providers and contractors, would also be affected because their project applications might be reviewed and approved more quickly by local governments that receive grants. Ultimately, people living in areas with poor or no high-speed internet access could benefit from faster deployment of broadband services to their homes and businesses.
KEY PROVISIONS
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PROVISION 01
Establishes a competitive grant program for local governments (covered entities) to help them efficiently review and approve applications for broadband infrastructure projects.
Provides financial resources directly to local governments to address administrative bottlenecks in broadband deployment.
PROVISION 02
Requires grant recipients to demonstrate readiness for broadband deployment by adopting efficient review processes, allowing expedited construction methods like micro-trenching, and implementing fair and transparent fees for applications.
Ensures that federal funds are tied to specific, measurable improvements in local permitting practices.
PROVISION 03
Allows grant funds to be used for capacity-building activities, such as employee training and hiring, and for purchasing technology, software, and equipment to facilitate application processing.
Directs funding towards practical needs that help local governments modernize and increase their efficiency.
PROVISION 04
Establishes a 'Local Broadband Advisory Council' composed of broadband deployment stakeholders to develop solutions for challenges faced by local jurisdictions and infrastructure providers.
Creates a collaborative forum to identify and address broader systemic issues impacting broadband rollout across the country.
Local governments, including cities, counties, and Indian Tribes, would be most directly affected as they can apply for these grants. The bill aims to give them resources to improve their administrative processes for approving broadband construction.
Companies that build internet infrastructure, such as internet service providers and contractors, would also be affected because their project applications might be reviewed and approved more quickly by local governments that receive grants. Ultimately, people living in areas with poor or no high-speed internet access could benefit from faster deployment of broadband services to their homes and businesses.
KEY PROVISIONS
AI-extracted
high
Establishes a competitive grant program for local governments (covered entities) to help them efficiently review and approve applications for broadband infrastructure projects.
Provides financial resources directly to local governments to address administrative bottlenecks in broadband deployment.
high
Requires grant recipients to demonstrate readiness for broadband deployment by adopting efficient review processes, allowing expedited construction methods like micro-trenching, and implementing fair and transparent fees for applications.
Ensures that federal funds are tied to specific, measurable improvements in local permitting practices.
med
Allows grant funds to be used for capacity-building activities, such as employee training and hiring, and for purchasing technology, software, and equipment to facilitate application processing.
Directs funding towards practical needs that help local governments modernize and increase their efficiency.
med
Establishes a 'Local Broadband Advisory Council' composed of broadband deployment stakeholders to develop solutions for challenges faced by local jurisdictions and infrastructure providers.
Creates a collaborative forum to identify and address broader systemic issues impacting broadband rollout across the country.
Broadband Incentives for Communities Grant Program
discretionary
Indefinite
GLOSSARY
AI-written
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information
The head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), responsible for advising the President on telecommunications and information policy issues.
Broadband infrastructure
The physical facilities and equipment, such as fiber optic cables, cellular towers, and associated electronics, used to provide high-speed internet access service.
Covered entity
A state political subdivision (like a city or county government) or an Indian Tribe that is eligible to apply for grants under this program.
Covered application
A request for zoning or permitting approval submitted to a local government that is necessary for building or deploying broadband infrastructure.
Micro-trenching
An expedited construction method for deploying fiber optic cables that involves cutting a narrow, shallow trench in a road or pathway, installing the cable, and then backfilling it, often faster and less disruptive than traditional trenching.
Competitive grant program
A program where government funding is awarded to eligible applicants based on a merit-based evaluation of their proposals, rather than automatically or through a formula.
ACTION TIMELINE
2 EVENTS
APR 21, 25
Introduced in House
INTROREFERRAL
APR 21, 25
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
The local government processes that regulate land use and construction, requiring approvals and licenses before buildings or infrastructure projects, like broadband deployment, can proceed.
