[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 966 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 966
To amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Organization Act to encourage deployment of broadband service to rural
America.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 25, 2001
Mr. Dorgan (for himself, Mr. Daschle, Mr. Johnson, Mrs. Murray, and Mr.
Wellstone) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Organization Act to encourage deployment of broadband service to rural
America.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Broadband Enhancement Act''.
SEC. 2. LOAN PROGRAM FOR DEPLOYMENT OF BROADBAND SERVICE IN RURAL
AREAS.
(a) In General.--Part C of title I of the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act (47
U.S.C. 901 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new
section:
``SEC. 156. BROADBAND TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE.
``(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to make loans and
other extensions of credit to provide funds for the costs of the
construction, improvement, and acquisition of facilities and equipment
for the provision of broadband service in eligible rural communities.
``(b) Requirement To Make Loans and Other Extensions of Credit.--
The Rural Utilities Service of the Department of Agriculture shall, in
consultation with the NTIA, make loans or other extensions of credit to
eligible entities to provide funds for the construction, improvement,
or acquisition of facilities and equipment (including consumer
equipment) for the provision of broadband service in eligible rural
communities.
``(c) Eligible Entities.--An entity eligible for a loan or other
extension of credit under this section is any non-Federal public or
private entity, including an incorporated or limited liability entity,
cooperative, non-profit organization, or limited dividend or mutual
association, that submits a plan for a project meeting the requirements
of subsection (e).
``(d) Broadband Service.--
``(1) In general.--For purposes of this section, broadband
service is any technology identified by the Rural Utilities
Service, in consultation with the NTIA, as having the capacity
to transmit data so as to enable a subscriber to such service
to originate and receive high-quality voice, data, graphics, or
video.
``(2) Modification.--The NTIA shall, from time to time as
advances in technology so warrant, review and recommend
modifications of rate-of-data transmission criteria for
purposes of the identification of technologies under paragraph
(1).
``(e) Project Requirements.--
``(1) In general.--A project meeting the requirements of
this subsection is any project determined to have the
capability--
``(A) to deliver broadband service; and
``(B) to make access to broadband service generally
available throughout an eligible rural community.
``(2) Additional considerations.--For purposes of
determining whether or not to make a loan or other extension of
credit for a project under this section, the following matters
shall also be taken into consideration:
``(A) The extent to which the area to be served by
the project is unserved or underserved by broadband
service.
``(B) The size of the area to be served by the
project.
``(C) The potential number of subscribers to the
broadband service available through the project.
``(3) Technological neutrality.--For purposes of
determining whether or not to make a loan or other extension of
credit for a project under this section, the type of technology
proposed to be employed under the project may not be taken into
consideration.
``(f) Terms and Conditions.--A loan or other extension of credit
under this section shall--
``(1) be made available in accordance with the requirements
of the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 (2 U.S.C. 661 et
seq.);
``(2) bear interest at an annual rate of not more than 2
percent per annum; and
``(3) have a term not to exceed the useful life of the
assets constructed, improved, or acquired with the proceeds of
the loan or extension of credit.
``(g) Limitation on Value of Loans and Credit.--The aggregate value
of all loans and other extensions of credit made under this section
shall not exceed $3,000,000,000.
``(h) Eligible Rural Community Defined.--In this section, the term
`eligible rural community' means any incorporated or unincorporated
place that--
``(1) has not more than 20,000 inhabitants, based on the
most recent available population statistics of the Bureau of
the Census; and
``(2) is not located in an area designated as a
Metropolitan Area by the Office of Management and Budget.
``(i) Sunset.--
``(1) In general.--No loan or other extension of credit may
be made under this section after September 30, 2006.
``(2) Construction.--Paragraph (1) shall not affect the
validity of any loan or extension of credit made under this
section before the date specified in that paragraph.''.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is hereby authorized to
be appropriated for the Department of Commerce such sums as may be
necessary to cover the cost, as defined in section 502 of the Federal
Credit Reform Act of 1990 (2 U.S.C. 661a), of loans and other
extensions of credit made under section 156 of the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act, as
added by subsection (a).
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5695-5696)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
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