Sponsors (10)
Requires a GAO report mapping broadband in federally assisted housing and directs HUD to submit a retrofit plan to enable broadband service.
The bill would produce better data, planning, and guidance to expand broadband in federally assisted housing—helping low-income residents—at the cost of potential increased federal spending, administrative burdens, privacy risks, and implementation delays or complexity.
Residents of federally assisted housing (low-income renters) would receive clearer, actionable plans and guidance to achieve in-unit broadband access, improving their ability to work, learn, and use telehealth from home.
Congress, state and local governments would get more detailed, disaggregated data and a federally aligned plan (using the FCC definition of broadband) to better target funding and policy to assisted-housing areas most lacking connectivity.
Program administrators and taxpayers could benefit from identification of retrofit costs and lessons learned that inform more efficient program design, potentially reducing future delays and overspending on broadband upgrades.
Taxpayers could face increased federal spending or reallocation of HUD/USDA resources to pay for retrofits, creating fiscal trade-offs and higher public costs.
Residents of assisted housing may experience delays in actual in-unit broadband upgrades if the plan identifies large infrastructure needs and timelines/costs push upgrades beyond the planning horizon.
Federal housing agencies and the GAO will incur administrative burden for data collection and reporting, requiring staff time and resources over the coming year.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Official title: To require the Comptroller General to submit to Congress a report on the capacity of federally assisted housing to support broadband service, and for other purposes.
Introduced June 25, 2026 by Nikema Williams · Last progress June 25, 2026
Requires a Government Accountability Office report within one year that maps broadband availability and retrofit needs in federally assisted housing and estimates costs and timelines. Requires HUD, working with the GAO and other agencies, to submit a plan within 18 months to retrofit federally assisted housing so those units can support defined broadband service standards.