Washington, D.C. - Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle (D-PA) released the following joint statement today after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1328, the ACCESS BROADBAND Act, by voice vote:
“This bipartisan bill will help connect communities without high-speed Internet access by pushing the federal government to get more bang for the buck when we invest in broadband Internet infrastructure. We commend Rep. Tonko for his great leadership on this bill, which creates an Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. We now call on our colleagues in the Senate to act swiftly on this common-sense, bipartisan measure."
H.R. 1328, the “ACCESS BROADBAND Act," introduced by Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), would establish the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The Office would hold regional workshops to share best practices and effective strategies for promoting broadband access and adoption. The bill would also require the Office to consult with any agency offering federal broadband support to streamline the application process and, to the greatest extent practicable, create one application that can be universal across the government. The new Office would be charged with coordinating broadband support provided by all the federal agencies that work on the issue, including the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utility Service.
