American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)
Executive Order on Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through The Federal Government
On his first day in office, President Joe Biden (D-DE) charged the federal government with advancing equity for all, including communities that have long been underserved, and addressing systemic racism in our Nation’s policies and programs. In this new executive order, the President extends and strengthens equity-advancing requirements for agencies, and positions agencies to deliver better outcomes for the American people. The order calls for:
Delphi, Indiana, broadband project officially begins, fiber to hit county in coming weeks
Delphi's (IN) fiber internet project, Broadway Broadband, officially broke ground.
Connecting Vermont: Broadband rollout making progress
Private and public partnerships are helping 214 Vermont towns get hooked up to broadband through a communications union district (CUD). Per Vermont statute, CUDs can’t be funded by general obligation bonds. There are 10 CUDs in the state and more than $124 million has been deployed in state and federal funding.
FCC Announces Over $24 Million in Emergency Connectivity Funding
The Federal Communications Commission committed over $24 million in a new funding round through the Emergency Connectivity Program, which provides digital services for students in communities across the country.
The Broadband Oversight Plan
As the 2022 elections essentially came to a close on December 6, 2022, then-Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) promised that the House of Representatives—under a new, Republican majority—would "conduct rigorous oversight of the federal government" in the 118th Congress.
State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Helping Communities Recover from the Pandemic
The State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) provided under President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act continue to play a crucial role in allowing county governments to stabilize their budgets, respond to the pandemic, and invest in their communities.
Arkansas approves $53.3 million in federal funds for 8 broadband projects
The Arkansas Legislature's Joint Budget Committee approved the state Department of Commerce's request to use $53.3 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds for eight broadband grant projects and $2 million for broadband administrative expenses. The proposed broadband grant projects are in Ashley, Baxter, Chicot, Clark, Columbia, Hot Spring, Logan and Lonoke (AR) counties.
Authorization and Oversight Plan of the Committee on Energy and Commerce US House of Representatives, 118th Congress
The committee's oversight plan for the 118th Congress. Concerning "Communications and Technology Issues," the committee will focus on the following:
Bipartisan Legislation to Prevent Taxation of Broadband Grants Reintroduced in the Senate, House
Sens. Mark Warner (D-VA) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) along with Reps. Mike Kelly (R-PA-16) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-19) reintroduced the Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act (BGTTA) — legislation that would amend the Internal Revenue Code to ensure that funding for broadband deployment from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) will not be considered taxable income.
Bringing Online Opportunities to Texans With Broadband—And Federal Funding
While expanding broadband access throughout Texas is a priority for Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX), part of his More Prosperous Texas initiative, the governor's record on connectivity is mixed. Texas faces two simultaneous challenges. First, there remain barriers to access which are particularly prevalent in rural areas of the state. Second, even where broadband is available, there remains a substantial portion of Texans who have not adopted or subscribed to broadband in their homes.