February 9, 2022
Farm Bill Primer: Rural Broadband Provisions
Since 2002, Congress has included provisions addressing
Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program.
rural broadband (i.e., high-speed internet access) in the
Authorizations of appropriations for these programs expire
rural development title of omnibus farm bills. The
on September 30, 2023.
provisions amend and reauthorize many of the rural
broadband programs administered by the U.S. Department
Selected Rural Broadband Provisions in the
of Agriculture (USDA). This In Focus provides background
2018 Farm Bill (P.L. 115-334, Title VI)
information on USDA rural broadband programs, an
overview of selected provisions in the Agriculture
Rural Broadband Program
Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 farm bill, P.L. 115-334),
added a grant component to the program;
and issues for Congress as it considers the next farm bill.
for grants, required at least 90% of households in the
Background
service area be without sufficient broadband access;
According to the Federal Communications Commission
for loans, required at least 50% of households in the
(FCC), approximately 14.5 million Americans lack access
service area be without sufficient broadband access; and
to broadband at speeds of at least 25 megabits per second
increased the minimum acceptable level of broadband
download and 3 megabits per second upload (i.e., 25/3
service from 4/1 Mbps to 25/3 Mbps.
Mbps). Of these Americans, 11 million live in rural areas.
The lack of broadband is concentrated in certain rural
Community Connect Grant Program
regions in the United States. The USDA Economic
permanently authorized the program.
Research Service found that broadband is less available in
rural counties in the lower Great Plains and Western
Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program
Mountain states and in rural persistent poverty counties in
set aside not less than 20% of program funding for
the Deep South and Southwest. Persistent poverty counties
telemedicine projects that provide treatment services for
are counties where 20% or more of the population have
substance use disorder.
lived at or below the federal poverty line during four
consecutive U.S. measurements dating back to 1980.
Rural Broadband Program
Federal rural broadband programs help to deploy broadband
The Rural Broadband Program provides funds for the cost
in rural areas and aim to increase the use of broadband by
of construction, improvement, and acquisition of facilities
rural residents. USDA, the FCC, and the National
and equipment needed to provide broadband service to rural
Telecommunications and Information Administration
areas. The 2018 farm bill added a grant component to the
(NTIA) administer these programs—only USDA
Rural Broadband Program, which previously was
administers broadband programs focused exclusively on
authorized to offer direct loans and loan guarantees only.
rural areas. Most USDA broadband programs define a rural
To date, Congress has appropriated funding for direct loans
area as any area that is not located within (1) a city, town,
and loan guarantees but not for grants. In the 2018 farm
or incorporated area that has a population of greater than
bill, Congress raised the authorization of annual
20,000 inhabitants or (2) an urbanized area contiguous and
appropriations for the program to $350 million for FY2019-
adjacent to a city or town that has a population of greater
FY2023.
than 50,000 inhabitants (7 C.F.R. §1738.2).
For grants, the 2018 farm bill required that at least 90% of
USDA administers five rural broadband programs: the
households within the proposed service area lack broadband
ReConnect Program, Rural Broadband Program,
access at the minimum acceptable level of broadband
Community Connect Grant Program, Telecommunications
service for a rural area. The law increased the minimum
Infrastructure Program, and Distance Learning and
acceptable level of broadband service from 4/1 Mbps to
Telemedicine Program. All of the USDA rural broadband
25/3 Mbps. For direct loans, the law required that at least
programs rely on discretionary funding. See CRS Report
50% of households in the proposed service area lack
R46912, USDA Rural Broadband, Electric, and Water
broadband access at the minimum acceptable level of
Programs: FY2022 Appropriations to learn more about
broadband service.
these programs.
In addition, the law directed USDA to prioritize Rural
2018 Farm Bill Provisions
Broadband Program applications providing broadband
The rural development title (Title VI) of the 2018 farm bill
service to rural communities that do not have residential
includes provisions that affect the Rural Broadband
broadband service of at least 10/1 Mbps. The law also
Program, Community Connect Grant Program, and
prioritized applications for projects providing the maximum
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Farm Bill Primer: Rural Broadband Provisions
level of broadband service to the greatest proportion of
Utilities Service website and required that the database
rural households in the proposed service area.
be available to the public.
Community Connect Grant Program
Working Group. Established a rural broadband
The Community Connect Grant Program offers funding to
integration working group, including representatives
provide broadband service in rural communities where
from numerous federal agencies, to identify and assess
service does not exist. Eligible applicants include
regulatory barriers to broadband deployment and
incorporated organizations, federally recognized Tribes,
opportunities to promote broadband adoption and
state and local units of government, and for-profit limited
competition.
liability companies. The 2018 law provided permanent
authority for the program. Congress authorized annual
Considerations for Congress
appropriations of $50 million for the program for FY2019-
FY2023. Previously, the Community Connect Grant
ReConnect Program
Program was a pilot program that Congress reauthorized
Congress established the pilot program that became known
through annual appropriations laws.
as the ReConnect Program through the Agriculture, Rural
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related
Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program
Agencies Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141, Division
The Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program provides
A). The ReConnect Program provides loans, grants, and
grants to help rural communities gain the technology and
loan/grant combinations to help fund the costs of
training necessary to connect educational and medical
construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and
professionals with students, teachers, and patients in rural
equipment needed to provide broadband service in rural
areas. The 2018 farm bill authorized increases in
areas.
appropriations for the program from $75 million to $82
million annually for FY2019-FY2023. The law also set
Congress has reauthorized the pilot program annually
aside not less than 20% of the program’s funding for
through appropriations acts. Given that expanding
telemedicine projects that provide treatment services for
broadband to all rural areas is likely to be a multiyear effort,
substance use disorder.
Congress could consider whether providing annual,
multiyear, or permanent authority for the ReConnect
Other Rural Broadband Provisions
Program in the next farm bill would be preferred. To learn
The 2018 farm bill also included the following broadband
more about the program, see CRS Report R47017, USDA’s
provisions.
ReConnect Program: Expanding Rural Broadband.
Innovative Broadband Advancement Program.
Rural Health Challenges
Reauthorized the Rural Gigabit Network Pilot and
The USDA Economic Research Service found that from
renamed it the Innovative Broadband Advancement
September 2020 to October 2021, rural persistent poverty
Program. The program is authorized to provide loans
counties experienced higher numbers of Coronavirus
and grants to decrease the cost of broadband
Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases compared with other rural
deployment. To date, Congress has not appropriated
counties and urban counties, including urban persistent
funding for this program.
poverty counties. As Congress contemplates the next farm
bill, it could consider what role USDA rural broadband
Middle Mile Infrastructure. Established a new rural
programs might play in providing health services through
broadband deployment program to fund middle mile
telemedicine. If Congress chooses to reauthorize these
infrastructure. Middle mile infrastructure refers to
programs, it may consider whether funds for these
infrastructure that does not connect directly to an end
programs could be targeted to address COVID-19 and/or
user, such as a business or household; instead, it
other health issues that disproportionately affect rural
connects a local network to the larger internet backbone.
residents or prioritized for other purposes.
The internet backbone consists of the interconnected
core networks of the internet, which support data
Increased Telework
communications and internet traffic across countries,
The Pew Research Center found that before the COVID-19
continents, and oceans. To date, Congress has not
pandemic about 20% of U.S. adults worked remotely from
appropriated funding for this program.
home (at least part-time). In October 2020, roughly 71% of
U.S. adults were teleworking (at least part-time). Some
USDA, NTIA, and FCC. Directed USDA to consult
researchers contend that expanding broadband in rural areas
with NTIA to verify applicant eligibility for USDA
at speeds that can support teleworking would broaden rural
broadband programs, using the broadband assessment
residents’ range of employment opportunities. Others assert
and mapping data provided by NTIA. Also, directed
that doing so would encourage an influx of urban and
USDA to coordinate with the FCC to ensure there was
suburban workers to move to rural areas, potentially leading
no duplication across USDA and FCC programs.
to higher housing costs for rural residents. As Congress
contemplates the next farm bill, it may consider the
Public Notice. Directed USDA to post information on
potential benefits, along with any potential downsides, to
the applications and funding awards for rural broadband
prioritizing USDA rural broadband program funding for
programs in a searchable database on the USDA Rural
projects that provide broadband service sufficient to
accommodate teleworking.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Farm Bill Primer: Rural Broadband Provisions
IF12041
Lisa S. Benson, Analyst in Agricultural Policy
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12041 · VERSION 1 · NEW