S323-119

What This Bill Does

The PLAN for Broadband Act gives NTIA the job of coordinating the crowded federal broadband landscape. The Assistant Secretary must develop a national strategy with covered broadband agencies, create an implementation plan, brief Congress, support a GAO study, collect broadband funding map reports from covered agencies, track and improve processing times for communications-use applications, and adjust the minimum project cost threshold used for covered broadband projects.

Who Benefits and How

Rural broadband applicants benefit if federal programs are synchronized and application processing becomes faster. State broadband offices benefit from clearer maps of federal broadband funding and program responsibilities. Broadband providers benefit when federal agencies coordinate funding rules and communications-use application timelines. Congressional commerce committees benefit from the national strategy, implementation plan, briefings, and GAO review.

Who Bears the Burden and How

NTIA must lead the national strategy, implementation plan, briefings, and agency coordination. Covered federal broadband agencies must report funding-map information and align with the strategy. GAO must study implementation and report to Congress. Federal land and communications-use offices must track and improve application processing times.

Key Provisions

• Requires a national strategy to synchronize federal broadband programs.
• Requires an implementation plan after the strategy is submitted.
• Requires congressional briefings and GAO review of implementation.
• Requires covered agency reporting for broadband funding maps.
• Requires tracking and improvement of communications-use application processing times.
• Modifies the minimum broadband project cost threshold.