,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dicj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august #a1    
#bjbd,mr4 ,hawley introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
  ,a ,,bill  ,to address defaults with  
respect to awards made under broadband  
programs carried out by the ,federal    
,communications ,commission1 and for    
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,broadband     
,fairness ,act4  #b4 ,policy ,it is the 
policy of the ,united ,states that1 with
 respect to an award made under a       
broadband program carried out by the    
,federal ,communications ,commission1   
the award should serve the ,state in    
which the funds comprising the award    
were intended to be expended4  #c4      
,defaults in ,,fcc broadband programs   
7a7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 
,broadband internet access service ,the 
term broadband internet access service  

has the meaning given the term in       
section #h4a7;b7 of title #dg1 ,code of 
,federal ,regulations1 or any successor 
regulation4  7#b7 ,broadband program    
,the term broadband program means any   
program administered by the ,commission 
that is directly or indirectly intended 
to increase the deployment of1 access   
to1 the affordability of1 or the        
adoption of broadband internet access   
service4  7#c7 ,commission ,the term    
,commission means the ,federal          
,communications ,commission4  7#d7      
,default ,the term default means1 with  
respect to an award under a broadband   
program1 that the recipient of the      
award-- 7,a7 fails to timely file a     
,long-,form ,application with respect to
 the award2  7,b7 fails to meet the     
document submission deadlines           
established by the ,commission with     
respect to the award2  7,c7 is found by 
the ,commission to be ineligible or     
unqualified to receive the award2 or    
7,d7 is otherwise disqualified by the   

,commission for any reason before the   
authorization of support under the      
award4  7#e7 ,indian ,tribe ,the term   
,indian ,tribe has the meaning given the
 term in section #d of the ,indian      
,self-,determination and ,education     
,assistance ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #ecjd74 
7#f7 ,state ,the term ,state-- 7,a7 has 
the meaning given the term in section #c
 of the ,communications ,act of #aicd   
7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #aec72 and  7,b7 includes
 an ,indian ,tribe4  7#g7 ,state        
government ,the term ,state government  
or government of a ,state-- 7,a7 means  
the government of a ,state2 and  7,b7   
with respect to an ,indian ,tribe1 means
 the ,tribal government with respect to 
that ,indian ,tribe4  7b7 ,effect of    
default ,notwithstanding any other      
provision of law or regulation1 upon a  
default with respect to an award under a
 broadband program1 the following shall 
apply3 7#a7 ,the geographic region      
proposed to be served by the award shall
 be eligible to receive support under-- 

7,a7 other broadband programs2 and  7,b7
 any program administered by any        
,federal agency other than the          
,commission that is directly or         
indirectly intended to increase the     
deployment of1 access to1 the           
affordability of1 or the adoption of    
broadband internet access service4  7#b7
 7,a7 ,any amount of the award that is  
forfeited after the default shall not be
 deposited in the ,treasury of the      
,united ,states and instead shall be    
made available by the ,commission to the
 government of the ,state that was the  
subject of the award 7or the activities 
under the award7 so that such ,state    
government is able1 to the maximum      
extent practicable1 to provide the      
benefits that were proposed to be       
provided under the award4  7,b7 ,if     
multiple ,states were the subject of the
 award 7or the activities under the     
award71 the ,commission shall make      
available amounts under subparagraph    
7,a7 to the government of each such     

,state in the same proportion1 as       
calculated by the ,commission1 that the 
award 7or the activities under the      
award7 would have been made available if
 the award had been carried out4  7#c7  
,with respect to benefits provided by a 
,state government under paragraph 7#b7--
 7,a7 any minimum speed requirements    
that were applicable with respect to the
 original award shall remain in effect  
with respect to the benefits provided by
 the ,state government under that       
paragraph2 and  7,b7 the ,state         
government1 if necessary1 may supplement
 the amounts made available to the      
,state government under that paragraph  
with funds of the ,state government4