Sens Baldwin, Ernst’s Bipartisan Legislation to Cut Red Tape and Expand Access to Internet in Rural America Passes Senate

Sens Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) announced that their bipartisan Access to Capital Creates Economic Strength and Supports (ACCESS) Rural America Act, unanimously passed the U.S. Senate. The legislation expands access to broadband in rural areas by easing the burden of regulatory costs for smaller broadband providers that rural communities rely on. The ACCESS Rural America Act provides regulatory relief to rural telecommunications service providers by allowing them to submit streamlined financial reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These small companies—many of which are the sole service providers in their region—could be put out of business by regulatory costs and unnecessary red tape. Specifically, this bipartisan legislation would create an exemption from certain SEC public registration and reporting requirements for rural telecommunications companies. This will save these small companies from costly and burdensome requirements that were never intended for them.