,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dcjh  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,november #h1        
#bjag,ms4 ,michelle ,lujan ,grisham of  
,new ,mexico 7for herself and ,mr4      
,o',halleran7 introduced the following  
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,agriculture1 and in      
addition to the ,committee on ,energy   
and ,commerce1 for a period to be       
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to provide for grants to    
finance broadband transmission in       
certain rural areas4  #a4 ,short title  
,this ,act may be cited as the ,rural   
,broadband ,expansion ,act4  #b4        
,community connect grant program  7a7   
,in general ,the ,secretary of          
,agriculture 7in this section referred  
to as the ,secretary7 shall make grants 
to finance broadband transmission in    
rural areas eligible for ,distance      

,learning and ,telemedicine ,program    
benefits authorized by section #bcca of 
the ,food1 ,agriculture1 ,conservation1 
and ,trade ,act of #aiij1 and shall     
offer assistance to persons interested  
in applying for the grants with respect 
to the grant application process4  7b7  
,reporting requirements  7#a7 ,in       
general ,the ,secretary shall require   
any entity receiving a grant under this 
section to submit annual reports until  
#c years after completion of the project
 for which the grant is made1 in a      
format specified by the ,secretary1 that
 describes--  7,a7 the use by the entity
 of the grant1 including new equipment  
and capacity enhancements that support  
high-speed broadband access for         
educational institutions1 health care   
providers1 and public safety service    
providers 7including the estimated      
number of end users who are currently   
using or forecasted to use the new or   
upgraded infrastructure72 and  7,b7 the 
progress towards fulfilling the         

objectives for which the grant is made1 
including-- 7i7 the number and location 
of residences and businesses that will  
receive new broadband service1 existing 
network service improvements1 and       
facility upgrades resulting from the    
grant2  7ii7 the speed of broadband     
service2  7iii7 the average price of    
broadband service in a proposed service 
area2  7iv7 any changes in broadband    
service adoption rates1 including new   
subscribers generated from demand-side  
projects2 and  7v7 any other metrics the
 ,secretary determines to be            
appropriate4  7#b7 ,additional reporting
 ,the ,secretary may require any        
additional reporting and information by 
any recipient of a grant under this     
section so as to ensure compliance with 
this section4  7c7 ,audits ,the         
,inspector ,general1 ,department of     
,agriculture1 shall conduct annual      
audits of the grant program provided for
 in this section1 and shall direct the  
,secretary to implement such            

recommendations as the ,inspector       
,general finds necessary to ensure that 
the funds made available under          
subsection 7f7 are used properly and    
efficiently4  7d7 ,,gao reports ,the    
,comptroller ,general of the ,united    
,states shall submit to the ,secretary  
annual reports that assess the progress 
and level of success of the grant       
program provided for in this section4   
7e7 ,annual reports to the ,congress    
,the ,secretary shall submit an annual  
report to the ,committee on ,agriculture
 and the ,committee on ,energy and      
,commerce of the ,house of              
,representatives and the ,committee on  
,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry 
and the ,committee on ,commerce1        
,science1 and ,transportation of the    
,senate on how the grant funds provided 
under subsection 7a7 were used by the   
recipients1 how many households1        
businesses1 community centers1 and      
critical community facilities received  
broadband service as a result of the    

grants1 in which regions the broadband  
service was provided1 how many          
applications for the grants were denied1
 and how many of the grants were        
provided4  7f7 ,limitations on          
authorization of appropriations ,to     
carry out this section1 there are       
authorized to be appropriated to the    
,secretary #ajj1jjj1jjj for each of     
fiscal years #bjai through #bjbc1 to    
remain available until expended1 not    
less than #ij percent of which shall be 
available for grants under subsection   
7a74