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Rural Broadband Protection Act of 2025
Summary
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to establish a vetting process for organizations applying for high-cost universal service funding to deploy broadband networks. Within 180 days, the FCC must create rules that require applicants to demonstrate they have the technical, financial, and operational capabilities to build and operate the proposed network, along with a sound business plan. The FCC will evaluate applications against established technical and financial standards and review the applicant's track record of compliance with FCC and other government broadband programs. The bill also sets minimum penalties of $9,000 per violation and at least 30 percent of awarded funding for applicants who default before receiving authorization.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Rep. Houchin, Erin [R-IN-9] (R-IN)
1 cosponsor
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Erin Houchin’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- NULL $21,100
- KIESLER POLICE SUPPLY, INC. $13,700
- ELWOOD STAFFING $12,400
- ANDREESSEN HOROWITZ $12,399
- APOLLO $9,100
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Erin Houchin → · Outside spending →
Actions (13)
- Apr 29, 2025 Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 61. · senate
- Apr 28, 2025 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. · house
- Apr 28, 2025 On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H1662-1663) · house
- Apr 28, 2025 Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H1662-1663)
- Apr 28, 2025 DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2399. · house
- Apr 28, 2025 Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H1662-1663) · house
- Apr 28, 2025 Mr. Bilirakis moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. · house
- Apr 24, 2025 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 55. · house
- Apr 24, 2025 Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 119-78. · house
- Apr 8, 2025 Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 51 - 1. · house
- Apr 8, 2025 Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held · house
- Mar 27, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. · house
- Mar 27, 2025 Introduced in House
More bills on these subjects (8)
Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).
Text versions (4)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
AN ACT
To require the Federal Communications Commission to establish a vetting process for prospective applicants for high-cost universal service program funding.
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 “Rural Broadband Protection Act of 2025”.
SEC. 2. VETTING PROCESS FOR PROSPECTIVE HIGH-COST UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND APPLICANTS.
Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(m) Vetting of High-Cost Fund Recipients.—
“(1) Definitions.—In this subsection—
“(A) the term ‘covered funding’ means any new offer of high-cost universal service program funding, including funding provided through a reverse competitive bidding mechanism provided under this section, for the deployment of a broadband-capable network and the provision of supported services over the network; and
“(B) the term ‘new covered funding award’ means an award of covered funding that is made based on an application submitted to the Commission on or after the date on which rules are promulgated under paragraph
(2).
“(2) Commission rulemaking.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Commission shall initiate a rulemaking proceeding to establish a vetting process for applicants for, and other recipients of, a new covered funding award.
“(3) Contents.—
“(A) In general.—In promulgating rules under paragraph (2), the Commission shall provide that, consistent with principles of technology neutrality, the Commission will only award covered funding to applicants that can demonstrate that they meet the qualifications in subparagraph (B).
“(B) Qualifications described.—An applicant for a new covered funding award shall include in the initial application a proposal containing sufficient detail and documentation for the Commission to ascertain that the applicant possesses the technical, financial, and operational capabilities, and has a reasonable business plan, to deploy the proposed network and deliver services with the relevant performance characteristics and requirements defined by the Commission and as pledged by the applicant.
“(C) Evaluation of proposal.—The Commission shall evaluate a proposal described in subparagraph (B) against—
“(i) reasonable and well-established technical, financial, and operational standards, including the technical standards adopted by the Commission in orders of the Commission relating to Establishing the Digital Opportunity Data Collection (WC Docket No. 19-
195) (or orders of the Commission relating to modernizing any successor collection) for purposes of entities that must report broadband availability coverage; and
“(ii) the applicant’s history of complying with requirements in the Commission and other government broadband deployment funding programs.
“(D) Penalties for pre-authorization defaults.—In adopting rules for any new covered funding award, the Commission shall set a penalty for pre-authorization defaults of at least $9,000 per violation and may not limit the base forfeiture to an amount less than 30 percent of the applicant’s total support, unless the Commission demonstrates the need for lower penalties in a particular instance.”.
Passed the House of Representatives April 28, 2025.
Attest:
Clerk. 119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2399
AN ACT
To require the Federal Communications Commission to establish a vetting process for prospective applicants for high-cost universal service program funding.
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