House Unanimously Approves Tonko Bill to Increase Broadband Access

The House of Representatives passed H.R. 1328, the ACCESS BROADBAND Act, by voice vote. The bill, introduced by Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), would establish the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The Office would hold regional workshops to share best practices and effective strategies for promoting broadband access and adoption. The bill would also require the Office to consult with any agency offering federal broadband support to streamline the application process and, to the greatest extent practicable, create one application that can be universal across the government. The new Office would be charged with coordinating broadband support provided by all the federal agencies that work on the issue, including the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utility Service.

A companion bill was introduced in the Senate by Sens Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Doug Jones (D-AL), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). Similar legislation passed in the House in the 115^thCongress but was never taken up in the Senate.