Congressional leaders introduce bipartisan bill to strengthen technical assistance for rural broadband

Key Takeaways

On April 30, U.S. Representatives Dave Taylor (R-Ohio-02) and Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.-17) introduced the Rural Broadband Assistance Act, bipartisan legislation aiming to improve access to federal broadband programs by funding technical assistance for rural communities. The bill provides counties with vital support to help navigate complex broadband funding processes and expand high-speed internet access in communities across rural America.

Counties play a central role in broadband deployment, leading local planning efforts, coordinating with providers, managing project siting and permitting decisions and serving as key applicants for state and federal grant programs. However, many rural communities face capacity gaps that make it difficult to dedicate resources to participate in federal broadband opportunities. The provisions put forward in the Rural Broadband Assistance Act provide practical, bipartisan solutions to help rural America bridge the digital divide.

What does the Rural Broadband Assistance Act include?

The Rural Broadband Assistance Act would codify the Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) Program. Established in 2021 and administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the BTA Program provides grants to counties and other rural development partners to assist rural communities in accessing existing broadband funding programs. The program offers grants and cooperative agreements to provide:

• Broadband needs assessments and feasibility studies
• Project planning, engineering and design
• Support for navigating complex grant application and reporting requirements
• Strategic coordination with broadband providers and stakeholders

By offering flexible technical assistance, the BTA Program helps under-resourced counties develop strong, competitive proposals for programs like USDA’s ReConnect Loan and Grant Program and the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program.

Why the Bill Matters to Counties

Access to high-speed internet is essential for economic development, health care, education and civic participation in today’s economy. However, many rural counties still lack the capacity to compete for and administer broadband funding effectively. The Rural Broadband Assistance Act would fill critical gaps by ensuring local governments have the technical expertise and hands-on support they need to plan and implement successful broadband projects.

“Counties are on the front lines of expanding high-speed internet access in rural America,” said NACo Executive Director and CEO Matthew Chase. “The Rural Broadband Assistance Act provides counties with critical tools and technical support to help close the digital divide in our nation’s rural communities. Counties thank Congressmen Taylor and Sorensen for their leadership and urge swift congressional action to advance this legislation.”

To read the text of the Rural Broadband Assistance Act, click here.