ReConnecting Rural America Act of 2023

This bill amends the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to establish the ReConnect program, providing grants, loans, and combinations for broadband infrastructure in rural areas. It sets minimum speed requirements, eligibility criteria, and funding authorizations through fiscal year 2028.

Sec. 2, Access to broadband telecommunications services in rural areas: The bill replaces existing provisions with a new section that defines broadband service as technology enabling high-quality voice, data, graphics, and video, and defines rural areas as those not in cities or towns with over 20,000 inhabitants. The Secretary must make grants, loans, or combinations for constructing, improving, or acquiring facilities and equipment for broadband service in rural areas. Projects must provide at least 100 Mbps downstream and 100 Mbps upstream capacity, and be in areas where at least 75% of households lack access to 100 Mbps downstream and 20 Mbps upstream. Priority is given to projects in areas where at least 90% of households lack such access, and may be given to projects in areas with under 10,000 residents, experiencing outmigration, with high poverty, or isolated, as well as those ensuring prevailing wages, supporting precision agriculture, or submitted by entities with at least 5 years of rural service. Grant-only awards are limited to Tribal organizations, colonias, persistent poverty counties, or socially vulnerable communities, or projects in areas where at least 90% of households lack access. Eligible entities include state and local governments, territories, Indian Tribes, cooperatives, corporations, and LLCs, but not individuals or general partnerships. Entities serving at least 20% of U.S. households cannot receive more than 15% of annual funds, and states and their agencies are similarly capped. Previous awardees cannot deploy in areas already served by other federal or state broadband grants unless that service does not reach at least 75% of households with 100 Mbps downstream and 20 Mbps upstream. The Secretary may require a cost share up to 25%, waivable for certain entities or projects. Technical assistance and training must use 3% to 5% of appropriated funds. The minimum acceptable broadband service level is 100 Mbps downstream and 100 Mbps upstream, reviewed every two years. Broadband buildout requirements must ensure loan repayment and network capability for the project's lifetime, with substitute standards allowed for cost-prohibitive areas. The bill authorizes $650 million per year for fiscal years 2024 through 2028 for the main program, with up to 5% for administration, and rescinds unobligated balances from a 2018 appropriation to fund the program directly. It also authorizes $350 million per year for fiscal years 2024 through 2028 for additional rural broadband loans under previous requirements. No grants, loans, or combinations may be made after September 30, 2028. The bill also sunsets the 2018 provision 120 days after enactment.