On Monday, Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12) introduced
H.R. 3298,
the Broadband Expansion and Deployment Fee Equity and Efficiency Act, or "BEAD FEES Act," legislation that will improve transparency in the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment, or “BEAD,” Program—allowing accountability for application fees.
Today, the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology advanced a package of broadband legislation, including the BEAD FEES Act. After the markup concluded, Congressman Allen issued the following statement:
“Ensuring access to rural broadband is critical in today’s day and age. However, when deploying broadband technology, Congress must ensure that federal dollars are going towards broadband buildout, not unrelated costs. The BEAD FEES Act addresses shortcomings in the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act that would have exacerbated processing delays and increased the cost of broadband deployment in underserved communities. I was proud to introduce this commonsense legislation to enhance program accountability and I thank Chair Rodgers and Subcommittee Chair Latta for scheduling today’s markup of bills that will cut red tape. We must maintain a continued commitment to ending the digital divide.”
“Many families and businesses across the country still lack access to broadband, which is a critical part of today’s economy. Energy and Commerce is leading to remove regulatory red tape, deploy broadband faster, get Americans across the country connected, and close the digital divide once and for all. The legislative package we’ve unveiled will help us connect all Americans, and I commend Rep. Allen for his leadership on the BEAD FEES Act, which will help us achieve these goals,” said Energy and Commerce Chair Rodgers.
