Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
This bill creates a "Last Acre Program" in the Rural Electrification Act to fund competitive grants and loans for providers to bring high-speed broadband and wireless connectivity to unserved and underserved agricultural land. It defines qualifying speeds, prioritizes remote and unserved land, sets federal cost-share limits (up to 80 percent, 90 percent for limited-resource producers), requires cybersecurity measures, establishes a competitive bid and challenge process, sets a four-year buildout maximum, and directs the National Agricultural Statistics Service to add broadband adoption questions to agricultural surveys.
Size and open-ended nature of federal spending
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill creates a well-scoped substantive federal program to extend qualifying broadband connectivity to agricultural land and provides substantial procedural detail while leaving certain fiscal and regulatory specifics to agency implementation.
This bill creates a "Last Acre Program" in the Rural Electrification Act to fund competitive grants and loans for providers to bring high-speed broadband and wireless connectivity to unserved and underserved agricultural land.
It defines qualifying speeds, prioritizes remote and unserved land, sets federal cost-share limits (up to 80 percent, 90 percent for limited-resource producers), requires cybersecurity measures, establishes a competitive bid and challenge process, sets a four-year buildout maximum, and directs the National Agricultural Statistics Service to add broadband adoption questions to agricultural surveys.
The bill authorizes "such sums as are necessary" for fiscal years 2025–2029 and repeals two prior REA sections (602 and 603).
Technocratic, agriculture-aligned bill with bipartisan appeal but dependent on future appropriations and program coordination.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill creates a well-scoped substantive federal program to extend qualifying broadband connectivity to agricultural land and provides substantial procedural detail while leaving certain fiscal and regulatory specifics to agency implementation.
Size and open-ended nature of federal spending
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Size and open-ended nature of federal spending
Likely broadly supportive because the program targets rural broadband gaps, prioritizes remote and limited-resource farmers, and supports precision agriculture.
Concerns would center on data privacy, farmer control over data, and ensuring small producers genuinely benefit versus large providers.
Some impacts, such as equity outcomes and environmental benefits from precision agriculture, are plausible but uncertain.
Generally supportive of targeted rural broadband investment with competitive bidding and buildout rules, but cautious about fiscal and administrative details.
Wants clearer appropriation amounts, stronger adjudication timelines, and measurable performance metrics to limit waste and overlap with FCC programs.
Many operational impacts are foreseeable but depend on implementation.
Skeptical about expanding federal programs and open-ended spending, though acknowledging the goal of improved rural connectivity.
Worries focus on market distortion, regulatory burdens on providers, and the federal government directing infrastructure choices.
Some private-sector solutions might be preferred instead; many fiscal impacts remain uncertain.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Technocratic, agriculture-aligned bill with bipartisan appeal but dependent on future appropriations and program coordination.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Size and open-ended nature of federal spending
Technocratic, agriculture-aligned bill with bipartisan appeal but dependent on future appropriations and program coordination.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill creates a well-scoped substantive federal program to extend qualifying broadband connectivity to agricultural land and provides substantial procedural detail while le…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.