Bill > HR1870

This bill aims to improve the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program by making several key modifications to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The bill clarifies that "gigabit-level broadband service" means reliable service with download speeds of at least 1,000 megabits per second and renames aspects of the program from "Equity" to "Expansion". It modifies fund usage rules, stipulating that unused allocated funds will be transferred to the Treasury and allowing for telecommunications workforce development programs. The bill introduces project size reforms that enable subgrantees to remove locations from project areas that would unreasonably increase costs. Importantly, the bill prohibits eligible entities and the Assistant Secretary from establishing conditions in grant processes related to various labor, workforce, and social considerations like prevailing wages, union workforces, collective bargaining, local hiring, climate change, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. It also ensures that all broadband technologies can be considered for grants if they meet performance criteria and explicitly prevents regulation of broadband service rates. These changes are designed to streamline the broadband deployment process, reduce administrative barriers, and potentially accelerate internet infrastructure development across the United States.

Business and Industry

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1870/all-info