Expanding Appalachia’s Broadband Access Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Expanding Appalachia's Broadband Access Act directs GAO to study whether the Appalachian Regional Commission can incorporate satellite broadband into broadband projects. The study must review the capacity of satellite broadband or low-orbit satellite services for business purposes, evaluate economic development growth in areas that have used satellite broadband for businesses, and analyze the cost-effectiveness of implementing broadband through satellites for economic development. The reported version gives GAO one year to submit results to Congress, while earlier text used a 90-day deadline and referred to low-orbit satellites.
Who Benefits and How
The Appalachian Regional Commission benefits from an independent GAO assessment of whether satellite broadband belongs in its broadband project toolkit. Low-orbit satellite broadband providers benefit if the study identifies business capacity or cost-effectiveness that supports future ARC projects. Rural businesses in Appalachia benefit if the study helps expand broadband options where terrestrial service is hard to deploy. Appalachian communities with limited broadband benefit from congressional attention to satellite service as an economic-development tool. Congress benefits from evidence before deciding whether to support satellite broadband through ARC programs.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Government Accountability Office must conduct the study and submit it to Congress. The Appalachian Regional Commission may need to provide information on broadband projects and economic-development needs. Satellite broadband providers may need to supply capacity, cost, or business-use information. Communities with poor broadband remain dependent on a study rather than immediate deployment because the bill does not itself fund broadband construction.
Key Provisions
- Requires GAO to study the Appalachian Regional Commission's ability to incorporate satellite broadband into broadband projects.
- Requires review of satellite broadband service capacity for business purposes.
- Requires evaluation of economic development growth in areas using satellite broadband for businesses.
- Requires analysis of cost-effectiveness for satellite broadband as an economic-development broadband strategy.
- Directs GAO to submit the study results to Congress within the statutory deadline.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Requires the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the Appalachian Regional Commission's ability to incorporate satellite broadband, including low-orbit satellite service capacity for business use, economic development growth in places using satellite broadband, and cost-effectiveness for broadband-driven economic development.
Key Policy Areas
Broadband, Appalachia, Economic Development, Government Oversight
Primary Purpose
Requires the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the Appalachian Regional Commission's ability to incorporate satellite broadband, including low-orbit satellite service capacity for business use, economic development growth in places using satellite broadband, and cost-effectiveness for broadband-driven economic development.
Policy Domains
House resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Appalachian Regional Commission
- Low-orbit satellite broadband providers
- Rural businesses in Appalachia
- Appalachian communities with limited broadband
- Congress
Identified Costs
- Government Accountability Office
- Appalachian Regional Commission
- Satellite broadband providers
- Communities with poor broadband
Legislative Progress
ReportedReceived in the Senate and Read twice and referred to …
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment …
The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without …
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without …
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, …
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules …
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate …
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2647-2648)
Mr. Taylor moved to suspend the rules and pass the …
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 486.
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Congress, Government Accountability Office
Positive-direction: Congress
Negative-direction: Government Accountability Office
Low-orbit satellite broadband providers, Satellite broadband providers
Appalachian communities with limited broadband
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "arc"
- → Appalachian Regional Commission
- "gao"
- → Government Accountability Office
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology