Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Access to Rural Broadband

On March 28, lawmakers from both the House of Representatives and US Senate reintroduced bipartian legislation to expand broadband access to rural communities. The Reforming Broadband Connectivity Act would strengthen funding mechanisms for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Universal Service Fund (USF), which promotes universal access to broadband and other telecommunications services. Currently, the USF is primarily funded through landline fees, disproportionately impacting seniors, who are more likely to use landlines than other Americans. The Reforming Broadband Connectivity Act was introduced in the House of Representatives (H.R.1812) by Reps Joe Neguse (D-CA), Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX), and Angie Craig (D-MN), and was introduced in the Senate (S.975) by Sens Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), John Thune (R-SD), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Jerry Moran (R-KS).