Sponsors (2)
The bill directs leftover federal broadband funds toward building and sustaining high‑capacity fiber, emergency‑communications upgrades, and workforce training—boosting connectivity, public‑safety resilience, and jobs—while raising cost, equity, and administrative challenges that could slow or limit who benefits and reduce procurement flexibility.
Residents and businesses in unserved and underserved areas will gain expanded high‑capacity fiber and wholesale (lit/dark) connectivity because leftover BEAD/IIJA funds can be used to create competitive subgrants and strengthen approved deployment projects, enabling faster networks and support for AI applications.
Local governments, emergency responders, and the public will see improved emergency communications because the bill supports Next Generation 9-1-1 planning/implementation and modernization/hardening of 9‑1‑1 networks for better call/data handling and interoperability.
State and local governments and federal mission partners will benefit from strengthened resilience and national security because project prioritization favors public‑safety, national‑security infrastructure and connectivity to military labs/installations and hardens key networks.
Small local governments, community providers, and rural areas may be blocked from some projects because subgrantees are required to provide at least a 25% match (except NG9‑1‑1), creating a significant financial barrier.
BEAD recipients, taxpayers, and service providers could face higher procurement costs and reduced future flexibility because the Assistant Secretary's Buy America waiver is made final and nonrescindable.
People in sparsely populated and low‑income communities risk slower broadband deployment because prioritizing AI and high‑capacity infrastructure can concentrate investments in denser or more commercially attractive areas.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Introduced December 23, 2025 by Garland H. Barr · Last progress December 23, 2025
Requires recipients of leftover BEAD allocations to create competitive subgrant programs that fund specified broadband-related projects, including wholesale fiber construction, workforce development linked to broadband/AI/electrical distribution, Next Generation 9-1-1 planning and implementation, mapping and permitting acceleration, and related activities. Sets definitions (including “artificial intelligence” and Next Generation 9‑1‑1), a 25% matching requirement (waivable or reducible), limited operations funding, public challenge rules for wholesale fiber, prohibits use for data centers whose primary purpose is storage/processing, preserves return of unspent funds to the Treasury, and directs the Commerce Assistant Secretary to issue guidance and oversee certain Next Generation 9‑1‑1 uses.