Congressional Budget Office

The ACCESS BROADBAND Act (H.R. 3994) would direct the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to establish a new Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth and direct several federal agencies that offer broadband support programs to amend, streamline, and standardize their applications for those programs. Using information from the affected agencies, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 3994 would cost $13 million over the 2019-2023 period, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts.

The Rural Broadband Permitting Efficiency Act (HR 4824) would require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to establish a program to enhance the permitting process for broadband Internet projects in each of the agency’s field offices. The bill also would authorize BLM and the Forest Service to enter into agreements with states and tribes to allow those entities to carry out environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for broadband projects within existing rights-of-way on federal lands.

The Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act of 2018 (HR 4881) would direct the Federal Communications Commission to establish the Task Force for Reviewing the Connectivity and Technology Needs of Precision Agriculture in the United States and select 15 members to serve two-year terms. The task force would be required to recommend rules and steps the FCC should take to expand broadband Internet access to unserved agricultural land and to report annually to the FCC. The task force would terminate on January 1, 2025.

The Cyber Diplomacy Act of 2018 (HR 3776) would codify the role and responsibilities of an existing office within the Department of State that works to advance US interests in cyberspace and coordinates US efforts to promote open, reliable, and secure communications technology. In addition, the act would require the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) to assess and report to the Congress on the extent to which international actors threaten the personal information of US citizens and the department’s efforts to protect such personal information.

The Rural Reasonable and Comparable Wireless Access Act of 2018 (S 2418) would direct the Federal Communications Commission to conduct a rulemaking to establish a national standard for Universal Service Fund programs to use when determining whether mobile broadband service in rural areas is reasonably comparable to such service in urban areas. Under current law, there is no national standard for comparing mobile broadband in rural and urban areas.