S 3084 — ReConnecting Rural America Act of 2025

Bill Text

• Introduced Introduced in Senate Current html October 30, 2025

Compared against current U.S. Code AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill establishes a new program to provide grants and loans for broadband service in rural areas, significantly revising the existing Rural Electrification Act of 1936.

• 7 U.S.C. 950bb

  subsections (a) through (f) → ``(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to provide assistance in the form of grants, loans, and combinations of grants and loans for the costs of the construction, improvement, and acquisition of facilities and equipment for broadband service in rural areas. ``(b) Definitions.--In this section: ``(1) Broadband service.--The term `broadband service' means any technology identified by the Secretary as having the capacity to transmit data to enable a subscriber to the service to originate and receive high-quality voice, data, graphics, and video. ``(2) Rural area.--``(A) In general.--The term `rural area' means any area other than-- ``(i) an area described in clause (i) or (ii) of section 343(a)(13)(A) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)(A)); and ``(ii) a city, town, or incorporated area that has a population of greater than 20,000 inhabitants. ``(B) Urban area growth.--The Secretary may, by regulation only, consider an area described in section 343(a)(13)(F)(i)(I) of that Act to not be a rural area for purposes of this section. ``(C) Exclusion of certain populations.--The term `rural area' does not include any population described in subparagraph (H) or (I) of section 343(a)(13) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991(a)(13)). ``(c) Grants, Loans, and Combinations.--``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall make grants, loans, and combinations of grants and loans to eligible entities described in subsection (d) to provide funds for the construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment for the provision of broadband service in rural areas. ``(2) Project eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant, loan, or grant and loan combination under paragraph (1), in addition to the requirements of subsection (d), the project that is the subject of the grant, loan, or grant and loan combination shall-- ``(A) provide broadband service of at least-- ``(i) a 100-Mbps downstream transmission capacity; and ``(ii) a 100-Mbps upstream transmission capacity; and ``(B) subject to paragraph (4), be carried out in a proposed service territory in which at least 75 percent of the households lack access to broadband service of at least-- ``(i) a 100-Mbps downstream transmission capacity; and ``(ii) a 20-Mbps upstream transmission capacity. ``(3) Priority.--In making grants, loans, and grant and loan combinations under paragraph (1), the Secretary-- ``(A) shall give priority to applications for projects to provide broadband service in a proposed service territory in which at least 90 percent of households lack access to broadband service of at least-- ``(i) a 100-Mbps downstream transmission capacity; and ``(ii) a 20-Mbps upstream transmission capacity; and ``(B) may give priority to applications for projects to provide broadband service-- ``(i) in proposed service territories-- ``(I) with a population of less than 10,000 permanent residents; ``(II) that are experiencing outmigration and have adopted a strategic community investment plan under section 379H(d) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008v(d)) that includes considerations for improving and expanding broadband service; ``(III) with a high percentage of low-income families or persons (as defined in section 501(b) of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1471(b))); or ``(IV) that are isolated from other significant population centers; ``(ii) that would provide rapid and expanded deployment of fixed and mobile broadband service on cropland and ranchland within the service territory for use in various applications of precision agriculture; or ``(iii) submitted by an eligible entity that has provided broadband service or other utility service for not less than 5 years in rural areas in the State in which the project would be carried out. ``(4) Additional requirements for grant-only awards.--To be eligible for assistance under paragraph (1) in the form of a grant only, in addition to the requirements of subsection (d)--``(A) an entity shall be--``(i) a Tribal organization (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)); ``(ii) a colonia; ``(iii) a persistent poverty county, as determined by the Secretary; or ``(iv) a socially vulnerable community, as determined by the Secretary; or ``(B) the project that is the subject of the grant shall be carried out in a proposed service territory in which at least 90 percent of households lack access to broadband service of at least--``(i) a 100-Mbps downstream transmission capacity; and ``(ii) a 20-Mbps upstream transmission capacity.

  This change fundamentally alters the existing framework to focus on broadband service provision in rural areas, replacing previous provisions with specific guidelines and definitions related to broadband assistance.

Action History

1. October 30, 2025

   Introduced in Senate

2. October 30, 2025

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

Sponsors

• Roger Marshall · Primary
• Peter Welch · Cosponsor

Subjects