Sponsors (2)
The bill centralizes and standardizes broadband funding data and definitions to reduce duplication, improve targeting, and speed deployment — but it increases administrative burdens, risks locking in mapping errors that could leave some communities behind, and raises privacy and flexibility concerns.
State, local, and federal governments and communities: establish a single, coordinated Broadband Funding/Deployment Map and harmonized federal data reporting, reducing redundant projects/overbuilding, improving planning, and helping target broadband investments.
Consumers in underserved areas (especially rural): faster, less-duplicative broadband deployment and better-targeted funding that can speed service rollout and reduce wasted taxpayer dollars.
Federal and state agencies and Congress: a clearer statutory definition of 'broadband infrastructure' and clarified committee oversight, reducing confusion about which programs and committees have reporting/oversight responsibilities.
Federal, state, and local agencies (and ultimately taxpayers): increased data collection and consolidation will raise administrative workload and compliance costs, requiring more staff time and program resources.
Rural and other communities omitted or mischaracterized on the existing map: reliance on a single, existing Broadband Deployment/Funding Map could lock in errors or omissions and lead to deprioritization for funding.
State and local governments and stakeholders: short statutory deadlines for the required inquiries risk curtailing thorough analysis and meaningful stakeholder engagement.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Requires FCC (with NTIA) to collect federal broadband program data for the Broadband Funding Map, conduct a short inquiry on data quality/integration, and orders a GAO study on agency compliance and coordination.
Requires the FCC, working with the NTIA, to gather federal agency broadband spending and program data for the statutory Broadband Funding Map to reduce redundant overbuilding and improve federal coordination. It orders the FCC to open a short, time‑limited notice of inquiry to assess the map’s data quality, timeliness, scope, and integration with FCC tools, and it directs GAO to study and report on federal roles, agency compliance with existing law, interagency coordination, authorities, and opportunities to save taxpayer dollars. Sets firm deadlines tied to enactment: the FCC must start a notice of inquiry within 270 days and finish the inquiry within 120 days of starting it; GAO must deliver its study within 180 days of enactment. The measure mainly focuses on data collection, oversight, and improved federal planning for broadband funding rather than authorizing new spending.
Official title: Modernize and improve the Broadband Funding Map in order to promote the most efficient use of Federal funds for broadband deployment, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 31, 2025 by Debra Fischer · Last progress June 23, 2026