,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #aaff  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,april #aa1    
#bjai,mrs4 ,blackburn 7for herself and  
,ms4 ,baldwin7 introduced the following 
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,commerce1         
,science1 and ,transportation  ,a ,,bill
  ,to direct the ,assistant ,secretary  
of ,commerce for ,communications and    
,information to make grants for the     
establishment or expansion of internet  
exchange facilities1 and for other      
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,internet ,exchange 
,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,definitions ,in    
this ,act3  7#a7 ,assistant ,secretary  
,the term ,assistant ,secretary means   
the ,assistant ,secretary of ,commerce  
for ,communications and ,information4   
7#b7 ,core based statistical area ,the  
term core based statistical area has the
 meaning given the term by the ,office  
of ,management and ,budget in the       
,notice of ,decision entitled #bjaj     

,standards for ,delineating             
,metropolitan and ,micropolitan         
,statistical ,areas1 published in the   
,federal ,register on ,june #bh1 #bjaj  
7#ge ,fed4 ,reg4 #cgbdf71 or any        
successor to that ,notice4  7#c7        
,covered grant ,the term covered grant  
means a grant awarded under section     
#c7;a74  7#d7 ,internet exchange        
facility ,the term internet exchange    
facility means physical infrastructure  
through which internet service providers
 and content delivery networks exchange 
internet traffic between their networks4
  #c4 ,national ,telecommunications and 
,information ,administration grants  7a7
 ,grants ,on and after the first day of 
the first fiscal year beginning after   
the date on which the ,assistant        
,secretary establishes rules and        
timelines under subsection 7d71 the     
,assistant ,secretary shall award grants
 to entities to acquire real property   
and necessary equipment to--  7#a7      
establish a new internet exchange       

facility in a core based statistical    
area in which1 at the time the grant is 
awarded1 there are no existing internet 
exchange facilities2 or  7#b7 expand    
operations at an existing internet      
exchange facility in a core based       
statistical area in which1 at the time  
the grant is awarded1 there is only #a  
internet exchange facility4  7b7        
,eligibility ,an entity may not receive 
a covered grant unless the entity       
certifies to the ,assistant ,secretary  
that the entity has sufficient interest 
from third party entities that will use 
the internet exchange facility to be    
funded by the grant once the facility is
 established or operations are expanded1
 as applicable4  7c7 ,federal share ,the
 ,federal share of the total cost of the
 establishment of1 or expansion of      
operations at1 an internet exchange     
facility for which a covered grant is   
awarded may not exceed #ej percent4  7d7
 ,applications  7#a7 ,rules and         
timelines ,not later than #a year after 

the date of enactment of this ,act1 the 
,assistant ,secretary shall establish   
rules and timelines for applications for
 covered grants4  7#b7 ,third party     
review ,to prevent fraud in the covered 
grant program1 the ,assistant ,secretary
 shall enter into a contract with an    
independent third party under which the 
third party reviews an application for a
 covered grant not later than #fj days  
after the date on which the application 
is submitted to ensure that only an     
entity that is eligible for a covered   
grant receives a covered grant4  7e7    
,rule of construction ,nothing in this  
section shall be construed to authorize 
the ,assistant ,secretary to regulate1  
issue guidance for1 or otherwise        
interfere with the activities at an     
internet exchange facility4  7f7 ,no    
additional funds authorized ,no         
additional funds are authorized to be   
appropriated to carry out this section4 
,this section shall be carried out using
 amounts otherwise authorized4  #d4 ,use

 of ,e-,rate and ,rural ,health ,care   
universal service support ,section #bed 
of the ,communications ,act of #aicd    
7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #bed7 is amended by      
adding at the end the following3  7m7   
,use of ,e-,rate and ,rural ,health     
,care support for costs relating to     
internet exchange facility connection   
7#a7 ,in general ,notwithstanding any   
other provision of law or regulation1   
including subpart ,f or ,g of part #ed  
of title #dg1 ,code of ,federal         
,regulations 7or any successor          
regulation71 a recipient of support     
under such subpart ,f or ,g may receive 
support under that subpart--  7,a7 to   
contract with a broadband internet      
service provider to obtain connection to
 an internet exchange facility2 or  7,b7
 for the costs of maintaining a point of
 presence at an internet exchange       
facility4  7#b7 ,rule of construction   
,nothing in this subsection shall be    
construed to authorize the ,commission  
to regulate1 issue guidance for1 or     

otherwise interfere with the activities 
at an internet exchange facility4  7#c7 
,internet exchange facility defined ,in 
this subsection1 the term internet      
exchange facility means physical        
infrastructure through which internet   
service providers and content delivery  
networks exchange internet traffic      
between their networks4  4