,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #eagb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #f1 #bjah,mr4 
,o',halleran 7for himself and ,mr4      
,pearce7 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     
assist ,indian tribes in maintaining1   
expanding1 and deploying broadband      
systems4  #a4 ,technical assistance for 
,indian tribes in applying for financial
 assistance to maintain1 expand1 or     
deploy broadband systems  7a7 ,in       
general ,the ,secretary of ,agriculture1
 through the ,office of ,tribal         
,relations in the ,department of        
,agriculture1 shall1 in consultation    
with the ,office of ,native ,affairs and
 ,policy of the ,federal ,communications

 ,commission--  7#a7 create a database  
of ,federal programs and activities     
under which ,indian tribes and tribal   
organizations1 and agencies and         
instrumentalities of ,indian tribes and 
tribal organizations1 may obtain        
financial assistance for the            
maintenance1 expansion1 or deployment of
 broadband systems2  7#b7 provide       
technical assistance to entities        
described in paragraph 7#a7 in applying 
for or using the financial assistance2  
and  7#c7 submit to the ,congress annual
 reports on-- 7,a7 the number of the    
entities to which the technical         
assistance was provided in the fiscal   
year covered by the report2  7,b7 the   
number of applications for the financial
 assistance that the entities submitted 
in the fiscal year covered by the       
report2 and  7,c7 the number of efforts 
made to facilitate the efforts of the   
entities to obtain the financial        
assistance in the fiscal year covered by
 the report4  7b7 ,model broadband      

development plan  7#a7 ,in general      
,within #ahj days after the date of the 
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,agriculture1 through the ,office of 
,tribal ,relations in the ,department of
 ,agriculture1 shall develop and publish
 in the ,federal ,register a model      
broadband development plan using the    
database created under subsection       
7a77#a71 that--  7,a7 identifies        
overlaps and unique target areas in each
 programs listed in the database2  7,b7 
identifies options for obtaining the    
financial assistance referred to in     
subsection 7a77#a71 and propose         
opportunities to enable the entities    
described in subsection 7a77#a7 overcome
 any obstacles in doing so2  7,c7       
describes the goals of technical        
assistance provided under subsection    
7a77#b72 and  7,d7 proposes a course for
 the provision of the technical         
assistance that is proven to enhance    
broadband access on tribal lands4  7#b7 
,consultations required  7,a7 ,in       

general ,subject to subparagraph 7,b71  
in developing the plan1 the ,secretary  
of ,agriculture and the ,federal        
,communications ,commission shall       
jointly--  7i7 conduct an in-person     
consultation with the ,indian tribes and
 tribal members involved1 in a forum    
open to the public2  7ii7 publish in the
 ,federal ,register the date of the     
consultation not later than #ad days    
before that date2  7iii7 within #cj days
 after the date of the consultation1    
transcribe or record the consultation1  
and make the transcription or record    
available to the public2 and  7iv7 not  
later than #cj days before finalizing   
the plan1 make available to the public a
 document that demonstrates how the     
consultation affected the development of
 the plan4  7,b7 ,waiver authority ,the 
,secretary of ,agriculture and the      
,federal ,communications ,commission may
 jointly waive the requirement of       
subparagraph 7,a7 with respect to a     
group of ,indian tribes if at least     

#e_/f of the ,indian tribes involved    
agree to the waiver4  7c7 ,definition of
 ,indian tribe ,in this section1 the    
term ,indian tribe has the meaning given
 the term in section #ajb7b7 of the     
,federally ,recognized ,indian ,tribe   
,list ,act of #aiid4  7d7 ,limitations  
on authorization of appropriations ,to  
carry out this section1 there are       
authorized to be appropriated to the    
,secretary of ,agriculture not more than
 #ejj1jjj for each fiscal year4  #b4    
,parity for tribal regulatory           
commissions  ,section #cjf7;a77#bj77;,e7
 of the ,consolidated ,farm and ,rural  
,development ,act 7#g ,u4,s4,c4         
#aibf7;a77#bj77;,e77 is amended--  7#a7 
by inserting and tribal after ,state2   
and  7#b7 by striking states and        
inserting ,states and tribal lands4  #c4
 ,substantially underserved trust areas 
,section #cjf;,f of the ,rural          
,electrification ,act of #aicf 7#g      
,u4,s4,c4 #icf;f7 is amended by adding  
at the end the following3  7e7          

,refinancing loans in substantially     
underserved trust areas ,notwithstanding
 any other provision of this ,act1 the  
,secretary or a designee of the         
,secretary may make or guarantee a loan 
to refinance a loan made to any person  
who has applied for1 or has outstanding1
 a loan or loan guarantee from the      
,rural ,utilities ,service for a project
 under an eligible program1 to improve  
or continue the availability of projects
 that serve communities in substantially
 underserved trust areas4  4  #d4       
,distance learning and telemedicine     
grants on ,indian reservations ,section 
#bccc7;d77#e7 of the ,food1             
,agriculture1 ,conservation1 and ,trade 
,act of #aiij 7#g ,u4,s4,c4             
#iej;aaa-#b7;d77#e77 is amended by      
inserting 7including on and off an      
,indian reservation7 after geographical 
diversity4