Congressional leaders introduce bipartisan bill to strengthen technical assistance for rural broadband
On April 30, U.S. Representatives Dave Taylor and Eric Sorensen introduced the Rural Broadband Assistance Act, bipartisan legislation aiming to improve access to federal broadband programs by funding technical assistance for rural communities. The bill provides counties with vital support to help navigate complex broadband funding processes and expand high-speed internet access in communities across rural America.
By: Owen Hart, legislative director for agriculture & rural affairs and Seamus Dowdall, legislative director for telecommunications & technology
National Association of Counties
On April 30, U.S. Representatives Dave Taylor (R-Ohio-02) and Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.-17) introduced the Rural Broadband Assistance Act, bipartisan legislation aiming to improve access to federal broadband programs by funding technical assistance for rural communities. The bill provides counties with vital support to help navigate complex broadband funding processes and expand high-speed internet access in communities across rural America.
Counties play a central role in broadband deployment, leading local planning efforts, coordinating with providers, managing project siting and permitting decisions and serving as key applicants for state and federal grant programs. However, many rural communities face capacity gaps that make it difficult to dedicate resources to participate in federal broadband opportunities. The provisions put forward in the Rural Broadband Assistance Act provide practical, bipartisan solutions to help rural America bridge the digital divide.
What does the Rural Broadband Assistance Act include?
The Rural Broadband Assistance Act would codify the Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) Program. Established in 2021 and administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the BTA Program provides grants to counties and other rural development partners to assist rural communities in accessing existing broadband funding programs. The program offers grants and cooperative agreements to provide:
- Broadband needs assessments and feasibility studies
- Project planning, engineering and design
- Support for navigating complex grant application and reporting requirements
- Strategic coordination with broadband providers and stakeholders
By offering flexible technical assistance, the BTA Program helps under-resourced counties develop strong, competitive proposals for programs like USDA’s ReConnect Loan and Grant Program and the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program.
Read more here.
