United States HR 7972: Rural Connectivity Advancement Program Act of 2020

Bill Text

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116TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION H. R. 7972
To provide funds to assess the availability, accelerate the deployment, and
improve the sustainability of advanced communications services and com-
munications infrastructure in rural America, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 7, 2020
Mr. LATTA (for himself and Mr. O’HALLERAN) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To provide funds to assess the availability, accelerate the
deployment, and improve the sustainability of advanced
communications services and communications infrastruc-
ture in rural America, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rural Connectivity Ad-4
vancement Program Act of 2020’’. 5
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SEC. 2. DEPOSIT OF SPECTRUM AUCTION PROCEEDS IN 1
RURAL BROADBAND ASSESSMENT AND DE-2
PLOYMENT FUND. 3
Section 309(j)(8) of the Communications Act of 1934 4
(47 U.S.C. 309(j)(8)) is amended— 5
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and (G)’’ 6
and inserting ‘‘(G), and (H)’’; and 7
(2) by adding at the end the following: 8
‘‘(H) ASSESSMENT AND DEPLOYMENT SET- 9
ASIDE.— 10
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding 11
subparagraph (A), and except as provided 12
in subparagraphs (B), (D), (E), (F), and 13
(G), 10 percent of the net proceeds from 14
each use of a system of competitive bidding 15
under this subsection completed before 16
September 30, 2022, shall be deposited in 17
the Rural Broadband Assessment and De-18
ployment Fund established under section 3 19
of the Rural Connectivity Advancement 20
Program Act of 2020. 21
‘‘(ii) NET PROCEEDS DEFINED.—For 22
purposes of this subparagraph, the term 23
‘net proceeds’, with respect to the use of a 24
system of competitive bidding, means the 25
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proceeds remaining after subtracting all 1
auction-related expenditures, including— 2
‘‘(I) relocation payments, includ-3
ing accelerated relocation payments; 4
‘‘(II) payments to incumbent li-5
censees for the relinquishment of all 6
or a portion of the spectrum usage 7
rights of those licensees; 8
‘‘(III) costs associated with the 9
reallocation of spectrum, whether on 10
an exclusive or shared use basis; 11
‘‘(IV) relocation or sharing costs, 12
including for planning for relocation 13
or sharing; and 14
‘‘(V) bidding credits.’’. 15
SEC. 3. DIRECTION AND USE OF RURAL BROADBAND AS-16
SESSMENT AND DEPLOYMENT FUND PRO-17
CEEDS. 18
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection— 19
(1) the term ‘‘Commission’’ means the Federal 20
Communications Commission; and 21
(2) the term ‘‘high-cost programs’’ means— 22
(A) the program for Universal Service 23
Support for High-Cost Areas set forth under 24
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subpart D of part 54 of title 47, Code of Fed-1
eral Regulations, or any successor regulations; 2
(B) the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund 3
set forth under subpart J of part 54 of title 47, 4
Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor 5
regulations; 6
(C) the Interstate Common Line Support 7
Mechanism for Rate-of-Return Carriers set 8
forth under subpart K of part 54 of title 47, 9
Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor 10
regulations; 11
(D) the Mobility Fund set forth under sub-12
part L of part 54 of title 47, Code of Federal 13
Regulations, or any successor regulations; 14
(E) the High Cost Loop Support for Rate- 15
of-Return Carriers program set forth under 16
subpart M of part 54 of title 47, Code of Fed-17
eral Regulations, or any successor regulations; 18
(F) the Uniendo a Puerto Rico Fund and 19
the Connect USVI Fund set forth under sub-20
part O of part 54 of title 47, Code of Federal 21
Regulations, or any successor regulations; and 22
(G) the Rural Broadband Experiments, as 23
established by the Commission under part 54 of 24
title 47, Code of Federal Regulations. 25
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(b) ESTABLISHMENT OF FUND.—There is estab-1
lished in the Treasury of the United States a fund to be 2
known as the ‘‘Rural Broadband Assessment and Deploy-3
ment Fund’’. 4
(c) BORROWING AUTHORITY.— 5
(1) IN GENERAL.—Beginning on the date on 6
which the Commission announces the results of an 7
auction under section 309(j) of the Communications 8
Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 309(j)), the Commission 9
may borrow from the Treasury of the United States 10
a