[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2750 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2750

   To amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to authorize 
recipients of funds under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment 
 Program to use such funds to provide broadband vouchers to households 
             in certain locations, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 8, 2025

  Mr. Taylor introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to authorize 
recipients of funds under the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment 
 Program to use such funds to provide broadband vouchers to households 
             in certain locations, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Bridging the Broadband Gap Act of 
2025''.

SEC. 2. USE OF BEAD PROGRAM FUNDS TO PROVIDE BROADBAND VOUCHERS.

    Section 60102 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (47 
U.S.C. 1702) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(p) Broadband Vouchers.--
            ``(1) In general.--If an eligible entity makes the 
        determination described in paragraph (2) with respect to a 
        political subdivision of such eligible entity, such eligible 
        entity may use grant funds received under this section to 
        provide to households in such political subdivision vouchers 
        that such households may use to cover eligible broadband 
        service costs.
            ``(2) Determination.--The determination described in this 
        paragraph is a determination by an eligible entity that a 
        political subdivision of such eligible entity lacks access to 
        broadband service that such eligible entity considers adequate.
            ``(3) Priority.--In providing vouchers under this 
        subsection, an eligible entity shall give priority to 
        households in political subdivisions the per capita income of 
        which is below the median per capita income of the political 
        subdivisions of such eligible entity, as determined by such 
        eligible entity.
            ``(4) Limitations.--
                    ``(A) Households in unserved locations or 
                underserved locations.--An eligible entity may not 
                provide a voucher under this subsection to a household 
                unless, on the day before such eligible entity provides 
                the first such voucher to such household, such 
                household resides at a location that is an unserved 
                location or an underserved location.
                    ``(B) Duration.--In the case of eligible broadband 
                service costs described in clauses (i)(II) and (ii) of 
                paragraph (5)(B), an eligible entity may only provide 
                vouchers under this subsection to a household to cover 
                such costs charged to such household with respect to a 
                single period of 12 consecutive months.
            ``(5) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                    ``(A) Broadband customer premises equipment.--The 
                term `broadband customer premises equipment' means 
                equipment employed on the premises of a household to 
                provide satellite or fixed wireless broadband service.
                    ``(B) Eligible broadband service costs.--The term 
                `eligible broadband service costs' means the following:
                            ``(i) 50 percent of the amount charged by a 
                        provider of satellite or fixed wireless 
                        broadband service to a household for--
                                    ``(I) the purchase of broadband 
                                customer premises equipment; or
                                    ``(II) the monthly lease or rental 
                                of broadband customer premises 
                                equipment.
                            ``(ii) The monthly amount (not to exceed 
                        $30 per month) charged by a provider of 
                        satellite or fixed wireless broadband service 
                        to a household for providing such service to 
                        such household.''.
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