S2585-119

What This Bill Does

The MAP for Broadband Funding Act would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), working with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), to collect federal broadband funding data on a reasonable and timely basis. It addresses the existing Broadband Funding Map, also called the Deployment Locations Map, rather than creating a new construction-grant program. The Senate-passed text requires an FCC notice of inquiry within 270 days of enactment and completion within 120 days after initiation. However, any commissioner may request a Commission-level vote before the inquiry starts; in that case it cannot proceed without majority approval. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) must complete a separate study and report within 180 days. These are proposed duties in the Senate-passed version, not a statement that the bill is already law.

Who Benefits and How

Federal taxpayers could benefit if more complete data help agencies identify inefficient or fragmented broadband spending, but the bill does not guarantee savings or rescind funding. Communities seeking broadband access and broadband deployment planners could gain more usable information about federal support, subject to the inquiry leading to actual improvements. The Senate Commerce Committee and House Energy and Commerce Committee receive GAO findings on missing data, legal authority and coordination. Third-party mapping data receive explicit consideration in both reviews, but mapping-data suppliers receive no contract, entitlement or procurement preference.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The FCC must collect data, conduct the inquiry if its approval condition is satisfied, and evaluate usability, timeliness, data categories and possible integration with other tools. NTIA has coordination responsibilities and its separate ACCESS BROADBAND Act reporting is examined. GAO bears the study and reporting workload. The study evaluates the Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of the Treasury, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Institute of Museum and Library Services as relevant funding agencies; the bill does not itself create a new private-provider filing mandate. It provides no new appropriation, tax benefit, enforcement penalty or direct restriction on building a competing broadband network.

Key Provisions

• Requires the FCC, in coordination with NTIA, to collect federal funding-map submissions on a reasonable and timely basis to reduce inefficient use or fragmentation of federal broadband funding.
• Directs an FCC inquiry within 270 days, but bars its initiation without a majority vote when any commissioner requests a vote; requires completion within 120 days after it begins.
• Requires review of data completeness, public usability, update timing, potential reporting-scope changes, third-party mapping data and integration with existing FCC tools; does not itself implement those changes.
• Requires GAO to study agency submissions, FCC management and collection authority, NTIA data collection, interagency coordination and potential taxpayer savings, and report within 180 days.
• Expands consideration of third-party mapping data without awarding vendors funding or requiring purchase of their products.