,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cjid  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #ah1 
#bjai,mr4 ,merkley introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and ,forestry 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend the ,rural         
,electrification ,act of #aicf to       
authorize the ,administrator of the     
,rural ,utilities ,service to make      
telecommunications grants for the       
collection of broadband infrastructure  
data by local governments1 economic     
development or other community          
organizations1 electric or telephone    
cooperatives1 and small internet        
providers1 and for other purposes4  #a4 
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,community ,broadband ,mapping ,act4
  #b4 ,grants for the collection of     
rural broadband infrastructure data  7a7
 ,in general ,title ,,vi of the ,rural  
,electrification ,act of #aicf 7#g      
,u4,s4,c4 #iej;bb et seq47 is amended by

 adding at the end the following3  #fjg4
 ,grants for the collection of rural    
broadband infrastructure data  7a7      
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,covered authority ,the term covered    
authority means--  7,a7 this section2   
7,b7 section #fjb2  7,c7 section #fjc2  
7,d7 section #fjd2  7,e7 section #bccc  
of the ,food1 ,agriculture1             
,conservation1 and ,trade ,act of #aiij 
7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #iej;aaa-#b72 and  7,f7   
section #ggi of division ,a of the      
,consolidated ,appropriations ,act1     
#bjah 7,public ,law #aae-ada2 #acb      
,stat4 #cii74  7#b7 ,eligible entity    
,the term eligible entity means-- 7,a7 a
 unit of local government in a rural    
area2  7,b7 an economic development or  
other community organization that serves
 a rural area2  7,c7 an electric        
cooperative 7as defined in section #c of
 the ,federal ,power ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4
 #gif77 that sells electric energy to   
persons in a rural area2  7,d7 a        
telephone cooperative that serves a     

rural area2 and  7,e7 an internet       
service provider that--  7i7 has not    
more than #ajj1jjj subscribers2 and     
7ii7 serves a rural area4  7#c7 ,rural  
area ,the term rural area means an area 
that is not in an urbanized area or     
urban cluster the population of which is
 #be1jjj or more1 as determined by the  
,director of the ,bureau of the ,census4
  7b7 ,authority ,to make grants to     
certain entities ,to collect broadband  
infrastructure data ,notwithstanding any
 other provision of a covered authority1
 the ,secretary may make a grant under a
 covered authority to an eligible entity
 for the purpose of enabling the        
collection of data relating to where    
broadband infrastructure is located and 
which homes are provided with           
nonsatellite broadband service1 without 
regard to any applicable household      
service percentage requirement4  4  7b7 
,effective date ,the amendments made by 
this section shall take effect #a year  
after the date of enactment of this     

,act4