,i  #aaf? ,,congress  #a/ ,session  ,h4 
,r4 #bibi  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(           
,,repres5tatives  ,may #bb1 #bjai ,mr4  
,mull9 7= himself & ,mr4 ,pet]son7      
introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 ref]r$ to
 ! ,committee on ,en]gy & ,comm]ce  ,a  
,,bill  ,to require ! ,f$]al            
,communications ,commission to e/abli% a
 program to promote ! availability &    
su/a9ability ( robu/ rural broadb&      
networks 9 high co/ rural areas1 & = o!r
 purposes4  #a4 ,%ort title ,?is ,act   
may be cit$ z ! ,rural ,broadb& ,network
 ,advancem5t ,act ( #bjai4  #b4 ,f9d+s  
,congress f9ds ! foll[+3  7#a7 ,int]net 
data dem&s are increas+1 & video /ream+ 
s]vices repres5t a significant portion (
 ! gr[? ( int]net traffic today4  7#b7  
,broadb& network op]ators mu/ inve/ 9   
additional capacity to accommodate t    
data & o!r traffic g5]at$ by ?ird-p>ty  
onl9e s]vices lev]ag+ und]ly+ broadb&   
networks4  7#c7 ,^! edge provid]s dep5d 
^u ! availability ( su* robu/ und]ly+   
network capacity to deliv] _! s]vices to

 us]s4  7#d7 ,! co/s associat$ ) broadb&
 infra/ructure upgrades are significant 
& gr[+ to keep pace ) ! onl9e s]vices t 
dep5d on ^! und]ly+ networks4  7#e7 ,!  
*all5ges ( inve/+ 9 & ma9ta9+ su* robu/ 
network capacity are ev5 great] 9 rural 
areas due to ! significant di/ances ov] 
:i* networks mu/ be built & op]at$ & !  
limit$ d5sities ( ! rural communities to
 be s]v$4  7#f7 ,all p]sons & entities t
 utilize & lev]age networks %\ld %>e    
equitably 9 support+ ! availability &   
su/a9ability ( rural broadb& networks4  
#c4 ,promot+ & su/a9+ robu/ rural       
broadb& infra/ructure  7a7 ,e/abli%m5t (
 program  7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,n lat] ?an #a  
ye> aft] ! date ( ! enactm5t ( ?is ,act1
 ! ,commission %all complete a rulemak+ 
t e/abli%es a program "u :i* ea* edge   
provid]1 except ^? describ$ "u p>agraph 
7#c71 t has data transport$ across !    
network ( a rural broadb& provid] 9 a   
high co/ rural area %all pay a network  
us] fee on an equitable &               
nondiscrim9atory basis to advance &     

su/a9 broadb&-capable networks & broadb&
 int]net s]vice 9 high co/ rural areas4 
7#b7 ,s+le effective date = paym5ts made
 ,any rule adopt$ pursuant to p>agraph  
7#a7 %all h ! same effective date =     
paym5ts made to ea* rural broadb&       
provid]4  7#c7 ,exemptions ,! foll[+    
edge provid]s are exempt f ! requirem5t 
to pay a network us] fee describ$ 9     
p>agraph 7#a73 7,a7 ,de m9imis am\nts   
,an edge provid] or class ( edge        
provid]s ^: assessm5t ( network us] fees
 is det]m9$ to be de m9imis by !        
,commission4  7,b7 ,g5]al exemptions    
,any ,/ate1 local1 or ,tribal gov]nm5t1 
elem5t>y s*ool or second>y s*ool 7z su* 
t]ms are def9$ 9 section #haja ( !      
,elem5t>y & ,second>y ,education ,act ( 
#aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja771 libr>y1   
hospital1 or individual4  7,c7 ,small   
bus9ess ,any small bus9ess conc]n1 z    
describ$ 9 section #c ( ! ,small        
,bus9ess ,act 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #fcb74  7b7
 ,calculation ( limit$ co/s1 collection 
( network us] fees1 & di/ribution (     

network us] fees  7#a7 ,calculation (   
network us] fees  7,a7 ,calculation (   
limit$ co/s ,! rulemak+ "u subsection   
7a7 %all include a calculation ( co/s   
associat$ ) transmission by a rural     
broadb& provid] ( edge provid] data t   
are n already recov]$ ?r\gh us] rates t 
are reasonably comp>able to ^? 9 urban  
areas1 ,f$]al or ,/ate univ]sal s]vice  
support1 or o!r ,f$]al or ,/ate programs
 aim$ at promot+ rural broadb& deploym5t
 or su/a9+ rural broadb& networks4  7,b7
 ,co/s describ$ ,! co/s describ$ 9      
subp>agraph 7,a7 include ! foll[+3  7i7 
,co/s associat$ ) ! initial deploym5t ( 
a rural broadb& network4  7ii7 ,co/s    
associat$ ) ongo+ op]ation & ma9t5ance (
 su* network4  7iii7 ,co/s associat$ ) !
 ongo+ deliv]y ( s]vices to us]s via t  
network 7includ+ co/s ( transit &       
transport betwe5 rural s]vice areas &   
urban or suburban int]connection po9ts74
  7,c7 ,update ( co/s ,n less frequ5tly 
?an e #b ye>s aft] ! date on :i* !      
rulemak+ is complet$ "u subsection      

7a77#a71 ! calculation ( co/s "u        
subp>agraph 7,a7 %all be updat$4  7#b7  
,collection ( network us] fees ,!       
rulemak+ "u subsection 7a7 %all include 
a me*anism ?r\gh :i* ! co/s calculat$ "u
 p>agraph 7#a7 are collect$ f edge      
provid]s "u ! program on a qu>t]ly      
basis4 ,! ,commission %all ensure t !   
assessm5t ( network us] fees on ea* edge
 provid] is reasonably reflective ( !   
relative proportion ( t edge provid]'s  
data transmitt$ on eligible rural       
broadb& provid]s' networks s]v+ high co/
 rural areas4  7#c7 ,di/ribution (      
network us] fees ,! rulemak+ "u         
subsection 7a7 %all provide =           
di/ribution on an equitable &           
nondiscrim9atory basis to rural broadb& 
provid]s ( network us] fees collect$ f  
edge provid]s "u ! program on a qu>t]ly 
basis4 ,! ,commission %all ensure t !   
di/ribution ( network us] fees to ea*   
rural broadb& provid] is reasonably     
reflective ( ! relative proportion (    
edge provid] data z measur$ & transmitt$

 on t rural broadb& provid]'s network & 
by consid]+ o!r factors su* z regional  
co/ disp>ities1 natural disa/]s1 &      
,f$]al em]g5cies4  7c7 ,eligibility =   
comp5sation ,! rulemak+ "u subsection   
7a7 %all include ! foll[+3 7#a7 ,9 g5]al
 ,to be eligible = receipt ( network us]
 fees collect$ & di/ribut$ "u ! program1
 an entity--  7,a7 %all be a rural      
broadb& provid]2 &  7,b7 %all submit any
 o!r in=mation reasonably prescrib$ by !
 ,commission z ne$$ to det]m9e !        
appropriate level ( network us] fees to 
be collect$ & ! equitable di/ribution ( 
su* collect$ am\nts z comp5sation4  7#b7
 ,use ( funds ,a rural broadb& provid] t
 receives comp5sation ?r\gh network us] 
fees may only use su* funds 9 connection
 ) any ( ! foll[+3 7,a7 ,! deploym5t ( a
 rural broadb& network4  7,b7 ,ongo+    
op]ation & ma9t5ance ( a rural broadb&  
network4  7,c7 ,! deliv]y ( broadb&     
int]net s]vices to us]s 9 a high co/    
rural area4  7d7 ,def9itions ,9 ?is     
section3 7#a7 ,commission ,! t]m        

,commission means ! ,f$]al              
,communications ,commission4  7#b7 ,edge
 provid] ,! t]m edge provid] means a    
provid] t-- 7,a7 provides a s]vice ov] !
 int]net--  7i7 = :i* ! provid] requires
 ! us] to subscribe or e/abli% an acc\nt
 9 ord] to use ! s]vice2  7ii7 t ! us]  
pur*ases f ! provid] ( ! s]vice )\t a   
subscription or acc\nt2  7iii7 by :i* a 
program se>*es = & id5tifies items 9 a  
database t correspond to keywords or    
*>act]s specifi$ by ! us]1 us$          
especially = f9d+ p>ticul> sites on !   
,_w ,wide ,web2 or  7iv7 by :i* ! us]   
divulges s5sitive us] in=mation2 &  7,b7
 includes a s]vice describ$ 9           
subp>agraph 7,a7 t is provid$ ?r\gh a   
s(tw>e program1 includ+ a mobile        
application4  7#c7 ,high co/ rural area 
,! t]m high co/ rural area means any    
area ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates t is n conta9$ 9 
an incorporat$ city or t[n ) a          
population 9 excess ( #bj1jjj           
inhabitants4  7#d7 ,nonpr(it            
organization ,! t]m nonpr(it            

organization means an organization t is 
describ$ 9 section #eja7;c77#c7 ( !     
,int]nal ,rev5ue ,code ( #aihf & is     
exempt f taxation "u section #eja7;a7 ( 
su* ,code4  7#e7 ,rural broadb& provid] 
,! t]m rural broadb& provid] means an   
entity provid+ broadb& 9 a high co/     
rural area pursuant to any t]re/rial    
te*nology1 includ+ fix$ or mobile       
wireless or wirel9e networks1 if su*    
entity--  7,a7 provides broadb& s]vice 9
 a high co/ rural area to few] ?an      
#ajj1jjj locations or subscrib]s s]v$ )9
 a ,/ate2 &  7,b7 meets ! s]vice        
obligations on spe$1 lat5cy1 & usage    
all[ances z det]m9$ by ! ,commission4   
7#f7 ,/ate ,! t]m ,/ate has ! mean+ giv5
 t t]m 9 section #c ( ! ,communications 
,act ( #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #aec74  7e7 
,univ]sal ,s]vice ,fund ,! network us]  
fees collect$ by ?is ,act may n be us$  
to support1 contribute1 or fund univ]sal
 s]vice "u section #bed ( !             
,communications ,act ( #aicd 7#dg       
,u4,s4,c4 #bed74  7f7 ,prohibition ,an  

edge provid] may n *>ge a fee or require
 any o!r paym5t f a rural broadb&       
provid] z an explicit or implicit (fset 
to network us] fees4  7g7 ,en=cem5t by !
 ,f$]al ,communications ,commission     
7#a7 ,p[]s ( commission ,except z       
o!rwise provid$1 ! ,commission %all     
en=ce ?is ,act 9 ! same mann]1 by ! same
 means1 & ) ! same jurisdiction1 p[]s1 &
 duties pursuant to ! ,communications   
,act ( #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #ae et      
seq474  7#b7 ,p5alties1 privileges1 &   
immunities ,any p]son :o violates ?is   
,act %all be subject to ! p5alties &    
entitl$ to ! privileges & immunities    
provid$ 9 ! ,communications ,act4