House Commerce Committee Approves Bipartisan Broadband Bills

The House Commerce Committee has favorably, and unanimously, reported a trio of broadband-related bills to the full House for a vote, as well as a pirate radio bill that attempts to keep ad dollars out of pockets of those broadcast brigands.

1. H.R. 3994, the Advancing Critical Connectivity Expands Service, Small Businesses Resources, Opportunities, Access, and Data Based on Assessed Need and Demand (ACCESS BROADBAND) Act, would create an Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth within the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, which is the White House's chief telecom policy advisor. 
2. The Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act of 2018 (H.R. 4881) would direct the Federal Communications Commission to create a task force to "meet the connectivity and technology needs of precision agriculture in the United States." Those are broadband-enabled technologies that allow farmers to collect data in real time on cropland and ranchland.
3. H.R. 5709, the Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement (PIRATE) Act would boost fines and enforcement against pirate radio broadcasters, who can represent a threat to licensed broadcasters and the life-saving information they provide.