Sponsors (2)
The bill directs substantial, targeted funding and standards to bring 100/100 Mbps broadband to the most underserved rural and vulnerable communities, but tight timelines, funding restrictions, provider caps, and a 2030 sunset risk leaving some areas unserved or creating short‑term administrative and deployment bottlenecks.
Rural and low-income households gain new funding to build 100/100 Mbps broadband: $650M/year in grants and $350M/year in direct loans (FY2026–FY2030) to expand high-speed access.
Buildout and service requirements (minimum 100/100 Mbps) plus biannual reviews push for future‑proof networks and increase accountability for funded projects.
Tribal nations, colonias, persistent‑poverty, and other socially vulnerable communities are eligible for grant‑only support, lowering financial barriers for the highest‑need places.
Five-year buildout deadline for funded projects risks failure or unmet obligations in very remote or logistically difficult areas, potentially leaving some communities unserved.
Prohibiting funding in areas already served by entities that previously received federal/state broadband funds may prevent upgrades in partially served communities, perpetuating digital divides.
Program authority sunsets after Sept 30, 2030, creating uncertainty for long‑term planning, ongoing maintenance, and operations after initial buildouts.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Revises the federal rural broadband program and authorizes $650M/year in grants plus $350M/year in loans for FY2026–FY2030, updates eligibility/standards, and sunsets authority after 2030.
Introduced October 30, 2025 by Roger Wayne Marshall · Last progress October 30, 2025
Makes major changes to the federal rural broadband program: updates eligibility, priorities, standards, equity and technical assistance requirements, and converts some program elements to grant-only. It authorizes new funding and lending for rural broadband—$650 million per year in grants and $350 million per year in loans for FY2026–FY2030 (available until expended)—limits administrative spending to 5%, and ends the program’s grant/loan authority after September 30, 2030. It also rescinds certain unobligated balances from a prior appropriations provision and immediately reappropriates an equal amount, and it nullifies that prior provision 120 days after enactment.