West Virginia Senators Introduce Eliminating Barriers to Rural Internet Development Grant Eligibility (E-BRIDGE) Act

Sens Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) today introduced the Eliminating Barriers to Rural Internet Development Grant Eligibility (E-BRIDGE) Act, which would remove obstacles for broadband projects to receive Economic Development Administration (EDA) grants. Specifically, the legislation ensures that local communities can partner with the private sector and gives communities more flexibility in complying with their funding match requirements. Specifically, the bill would:

• Eliminate barriers to investments in broadband in distressed communities, making them eligible for EDA grants.
• Clarify that eligible recipients may include public-private partnerships and consortiums to leverage private sector expertise in project development.
• Provide flexibility in the procurement process to account for limited availability of broadband services in distressed communities.
• Clarify that funds can be combined with other federal resources.
• Provide flexibility on accounting for in-kind methods to meet non-federal cost share.