Skip to main content
S 1642 118th Congress Senate Science, Technology, Communications Computers and information technology Government lending and loan guarantees Performance measurement Rural conditions and development Small towns

ReConnecting Rural America Act of 2023

Introduced: May 17, 2023 Introduced by: Welch, Peter Democratic · Vermont See on congress.gov
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 17, 2023
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
May 17, 2023
Introduced in Senate
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

ReConnecting Rural America Act of 2023

This bill merges the pilot ReConnect Loan and Grant Program with existing loans and grants provided by the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to facilitate broadband access to rural areas that lack sufficient access to broadband. It also requires that any unobligated amounts available for the pilot program be transferred and made available, without further appropriations, to the merged program. The bill authorizes the merged program through FY2028.

The bill specifies the eligibility criteria and other requirements that apply to the merged program, some of which are the same as the criteria and requirements that currently apply to the pilot program (e.g., the required minimum upload and download speeds).

Further, the bill (1) eliminates the authority of USDA to make loan guarantees, and (2) authorizes USDA to make combinations of grants and loans.

The bill also requires that recipients of grants and loans participate in specified federal programs that assist low-income individuals access broadband and telecommunication services.

What's happening now May 17, 2023

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 3
All 3 Democratic 1 Republican 2