,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cfdh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #g1       
#bjbj,mrs4 ,capito 7for herself and ,mr4
 ,manchin7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,environment and   
,public ,works  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the
 ,public ,works and ,economic           
,development ,act of #aife to provide   
for a high-speed broadband deployment   
initiative4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act
 may be cited as the ,eliminating       
,barriers to ,rural ,internet           
,development ,grant ,eligibility ,act or
 the ,e-,,bridge ,act4  #b4 ,high-speed 
broadband deployment initiative  7a7 ,in
 general ,title ,,ii of the ,public     
,works and ,economic ,development ,act  
of #aife 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cada et seq47  
is amended by adding at the end the     
following3  #bai4 ,high-speed broadband 
deployment initiative  7a7 ,definitions 
,in this section3 7#a7 ,broadband       
project ,the term broadband project     

means1 for the purpose of providing1    
extending1 expanding1 or improving      
high-speed broadband service to further 
the goals of this ,act-- 7,a7 planning1 
technical assistance1 or training2  7,b7
 the acquisition or development of land2
 or  7,c7 the acquisition1 design and   
engineering1 construction1              
rehabilitation1 alteration1 expansion1  
or improvement of facilities1 including 
related machinery1 equipment1           
contractual rights1 and intangible      
property4  7#b7 ,eligible recipient ,the
 term eligible recipient includes-- 7,a7
 a public-private partnership2 and  7,b7
 a consortium formed for the purpose of 
providing1 extending1 expanding1 or     
improving high-speed broadband service  
between #a or more eligible recipients  
and #a or more for-profit organizations4
  7#c7 ,high-speed broadband ,the term  
high-speed broadband means the provision
 of #b-way data transmission with       
sufficient downstream and upstream      
speeds to end users to permit effective 

participation in the economy and to     
support economic growth1 as determined  
by the ,secretary4  7b7 ,broadband      
projects  7#a7 ,in general ,on the      
application of an eligible recipient1   
the ,secretary may make grants under    
this title for broadband projects1 which
 shall be subject to the provisions of  
this section4  7#b7 ,interest in real or
 personal property ,for any broadband   
project carried out by an eligible      
recipient that is a public-private      
partnership or consortium1 the          
,secretary shall require that title to  
any real or personal property acquired  
or improved with grant funds1 or if the 
recipient will not acquire title1       
another possessory interest acceptable  
to the ,secretary1 be vested in a public
 partner or eligible nonprofit          
organization or association for the     
useful life of the project1 after which 
title may be transferred to any member  
of the public-private partnership or    
consortium in accordance with           

regulations promulgated by the          
,secretary4  7#c7 ,procurement          
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law1 no person or entity shall be       
disqualified from competing to provide  
goods or services related to a broadband
 project on the basis that the person or
 entity participated in the development 
of the broadband project or in the      
drafting of specifications1             
requirements1 statements of work1 or    
similar documents related to the goods  
or services to be provided4  7#d7       
,broadband project property  7,a7 ,in   
general ,the ,secretary may permit a    
recipient of a grant for a broadband    
project to grant an option to acquire   
real or personal property 7including    
contractual rights and intangible       
property7 related to that project to a  
third party on such terms as the        
,secretary determines to be appropriate1
 subject to the condition that the      
option may only be exercised after the  
,secretary releases the ,federal        

interest in the property4  7,b7         
,treatment ,the grant or exercise of an 
option described in subparagraph 7,a7   
shall not constitute a redistribution of
 grant funds under section #bag4  7c7   
,sources of assistance ,a grant provided
 under this section may be provided from
 amounts made available to carry out    
this title in combination with amounts  
made available under any other ,federal 
program4  7d7 ,non-,federal share ,in   
determining the amount of the           
non-,federal share of the cost of a     
broadband project1 the ,secretary may   
provide credit toward the non-,federal  
share for the present value of allowable
 contributions over the useful life of  
the broadband project1 subject to the   
condition that the ,secretary may       
require such assurances of the value of 
the rights and of the commitment of the 
rights as the ,secretary determines to  
be appropriate4  4  7b7 ,clerical       
amendment ,the table of contents in     
section #a7;b7 of the ,public ,works and

 ,economic ,development ,act of #aife   
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #caba note2 ,public ,law 
#hi-acf7 is amended by inserting after  
the item relating to section #bah the   
following3  ,sec4 #bai4 ,high-speed     
broadband deployment initiative4  4