,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ebac  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #h1 #bjah,mrs4
 ,hartzler 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 prohibit the ,rural      
,utilities ,service from providing      
assistance for the provision of         
broadband service with a download speed 
of less than #be megabits per second or 
an upload speed of less than #c megabits
 per second1 and clarify the broadband  
loan and loan guarantee authority       
provided in section #fja of the ,rural  
,electrification ,act of #aicf1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,expanding     
,rural ,access to ,broadband ,act4  #b4 

,required minimum speed of broadband    
,internet access service for ,rural     
,utilities ,service broadband ,internet 
access service deployment assistance    
programs  7a7 ,prohibition ,the ,rural  
,utilities ,service may not1 under      
section #fja of the ,rural              
,electrification ,act of #aicf1 the     
,community ,connect ,broadband ,grant   
,program1 the ,telecommunications       
,infrastructure ,loan and ,loan         
,guarantee ,program1 or the ,distance   
,learning and ,telemedicine ,program1   
provide assistance for the provision of 
broadband service 7as defined in section
 #fja7;b77#a7 of the ,rural             
,electrification ,act of #aicf7 with a  
download speed of less than #be megabits
 per second or an upload speed of less  
than #c megabits per second4  7b7       
,conforming amendments ,section         
#fja7;e77#a7 of the ,rural              
,electrification ,act of #aicf 7#g      
,u4,s4,c4 #iej;bb7e77#a77 is amended--  
7#a7 in subparagraph 7,a71 by striking  

#d and inserting #be2 and  7#b7 in      
subparagraph 7,b71 by striking #a and   
inserting #c4  #c4 ,clarification of    
broadband loan and loan guarantee       
authority ,section #fja7;c77#a7 of the  
,rural ,electrification ,act of #aicf   
7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #iej;bb7c77#a77 is amended
 by striking make or guarantee loans and
 inserting shall make loans and shall   
guarantee loans4  #d4 ,report ,within   
#ab months after the date of the        
enactment of this ,act1 the             
,administrator of the ,rural ,utilities 
,service 7in this section referred to as
 the ,,rus7 shall submit to the         
,committee on ,agriculture of the ,house
 of ,representatives and the ,committee 
on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and        
,forestry of the ,senate a written      
report on the effectiveness of ,,rus    
loan and loan guarantee programs for the
 purpose of expanding broadband to rural
 areas 7as defined in ,,rus             
regulations71 which shall--  7#a7       
identify administrative and legislative 

options for incentivizing private       
investment by utilizing ,,rus loan      
guarantee programs for the purpose of   
expanding broadband to rural areas2     
7#b7 evaluate the existing borrower and 
lending guidelines for ,,rus loan and   
loan guarantee applicants to incentivize
 participation in both programs2 and    
7#c7 evaluate the loan and loan         
guarantee application processes for     
lenders and borrowers by eliminating    
burdensome and unnecessary steps in the 
application process and providing a more
 streamlined process to decrease the    
complexity of the application and the   
timeline from application to approval or
 denial4