Bill Summary & Status for the 106th Congress

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H.R.5069
Sponsor: Rep Minge, David(introduced 7/27/2000)
Latest Major Action: 8/8/2000 Referred to House subcommittee
Title: To encourage the deployment of broadband telecommunications in rural America, and for other purposes.
Jump to: Titles, Status, Committees, Related Bill Details, Amendments, Cosponsors, Summary
TITLE(S):  (italics indicate a title for a portion of a bill)
STATUS: (color indicates Senate actions)
7/27/2000:
Referred to the Committee on Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
7/27/2000:
Referred to House Commerce
8/8/2000:
Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection.
7/27/2000:
Referred to House Ways and Means
7/27/2000:
Referred to House Agriculture
8/4/2000:
Executive Comment Requested from USDA.
8/4/2000:
Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Resource Conservation and Credit.
COMMITTEE(S):
RELATED BILL DETAILS:

***NONE***

AMENDMENT(S):

***NONE***

COSPONSORS(12), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors withdrawn]:     (Sort: by date)

Rep Baird, Brian - 7/27/2000 Rep Baldwin, Tammy - 7/27/2000
Rep Bishop, Sanford D. Jr. - 7/27/2000 Rep Boswell, Leonard L. - 7/27/2000
Rep DeFazio, Peter A. - 7/27/2000 Rep Hooley, Darlene - 7/27/2000
Rep Kaptur, Marcy - 7/27/2000 Rep Lucas, Ken - 7/27/2000
Rep Olver, John W. - 7/27/2000 Rep Rodriguez, Ciro - 7/27/2000
Rep Thompson, Mike - 7/27/2000 Rep Udall, Tom - 7/27/2000

SUMMARY AS OF:
7/27/2000--Introduced.

Comprehensive Rural Telecommunications Act - Title I: Rural Telework - Amends the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Rural Utility Service, to establish a National Centers for Distance Working Program to provide grants to eligible organizations for the Federal share of establishing National Centers for Distance Working in rural areas.

Directs a recipient Center to use grants for five-year projects to: (1) identify needed skills and provide training and employment-related services to persons in rural areas and Indian tribes to support the use of teleworking (the use of telecommunications to perform work functions over a distance) in technology fields; and (2) recruit employers and provide for high-speed employer-employee communications.

Authorizes the Secretary to make limited grants for teleworking studies, including development of best practices for businesses that employ teleworkers.

Authorizes appropriations.

Title II: Rural Telecommunications Modernization - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to establish the rural telecommunications facilities investment tax credit.

Title III: Rural Broadband Enhancement - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the Federal Communications Commission to initiate a proceeding to provide Federal universal service support for the deployment of broadband telecommunications service (high speed voice, data, graphic, and video telecommunications) to eligible rural communities (communities not located in an area designated as a metropolitan area by the Office of Management and Budget).

Amends the National Telecommunications and Information Administrative Organization Act to direct the Rural Utilities Service of the Department of Agriculture to make loans or other credit extensions to eligible telecommunications carrier providers, or to companies that accept the obligations of such carriers, to finance the deployment of broadband service to eligible rural communities.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 2001 through 2005.