Chairwoman Stabenow Unveils the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) unveiled the Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act, which contains more than 100 bipartisan bills and puts the 2024 Farm Bill back on track to being signed into law by the end of 2024. The Rural Prosperity and Food Security Act reflects more than two years of bipartisan work on the Senate Agriculture Committee and incorporates more than 100 bipartisan bills and the work of Senators on and off the Committee. It addresses the issue of foreign ownership of farmland, builds on our commitment to rural communities, makes meaningful investments into the farm safety net to provide certainty to all farmers, ensures that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) keeps up with the realities of American life, and brings the historic investment in climate-smart conservation practices into the Farm Bill. The bill would expand access to high-speed internet by strengthening the popular and bipartisan ReConnect Program.  

Sec. 6301. ReConnect Program

• Establishes a grant, loan, and grant and loan combination program for the costs of construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment for broadband service in rural areas that provide speeds not less than 100-Mbps/100-Mbps.
• Requires eligible projects to provide broadband service of at least 100-Mbps/100-Mbps in areas where at least 75% of the households lack access to broadband service of at least 100-Mbps/20-Mbps. 
• Requires the prioritization of projects in areas where at least 90% of the households lack access to broadband service of at least 100-Mbps/20-Mbps.
• Allows for the prioritization of projects proposing to serve areas with less than 10,000 residents, areas isolated from significant population centers, areas with high low-income populations, areas experiencing outmigration, areas with a need for precision agriculture technology, and applicants paying prevailing wages for construction.
• Allows applications from State and local governments, Tribes, corporations, organizations of two or more incorporated areas with an intermunicipal agreement to deliver communication services to residents, and cooperatives. 
• Limits grant-only awards to projects serving Tribal organizations, colonias, persistent poverty counties, and socially vulnerable communities or projects in areas where at least 90% of the households lack access to broadband service of at least 100-Mbps/20-Mbps. 
• Restricts the use of assistance under this program to deploy broadband in areas where another entity is deploying broadband service using broadband grants and loans under other Federal or State programs. 
• Improves mapping and award coordination between USDA, NTIA, and FCC.
• Requires the Secretary to consider FCC broadband maps in making awards.
• Allows the Secretary to require that the eligible entity provide a 25% cost-share for grants. 
• Allows not more than 5% of ReConnect funding to provide technical assistance and training for eligible entities applying for grants in priority areas under the ReConnect program and allows awardees to use funds to pay for costs associated with applying for the ReConnect program.
• Requires awardees to participate in federal internet affordability assistance programs.
• Rescinds unobligated amounts made available to carry out section 779 of division A of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 and appropriates an amount equal to that rescission for this program; authorizes $650 million for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029 to carry out this program; authorizes $350 million for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029 to provide direct loans under section 601 of the Rural Electrification Act, as in effect before the date of enactment of this Act.

Sec. 6302. Expansion of Middle Mile Infrastructure into Rural Areas 

• Extends the authorization of appropriations through fiscal year 2029.

Sec. 6303. Innovative Broadband Advancement Program

• Extends the authorization of appropriations through fiscal year 2029.

Sec. 6304. Community Connect Grant Program 

• Expands eligible service areas under the Community Connect Grant Program to allow rural areas where the broadband service capacity is less than 25-Mbps/3-Mbps.
• Increases build out speed requirements to 100-Mbps/20-Mbps.
• Extends the authorization of appropriations through fiscal year 2029.