The Senate Commerce Committee passed Senator Deb Fischer’s (R-NE) Modernization, Accountability, and Planning (MAP) for Broadband Funding Act to provide oversight of the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) Broadband Funding Map, ensuring it functions effectively for the public, government agencies, and broadband providers.
Fischer originally created the Broadband Funding Map as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. With oversight needed to ensure federal agencies are utilizing the Map to its full potential, the MAP for Broadband Funding Act will ensure that these agencies are reliably reporting their funding data to the FCC in a complete and timely manner.
“Closing the digital divide requires strong oversight of the Broadband Funding Map,” Fischer said. “My bill ensures federal agencies fully use the Map to maximize broadband buildout, while safeguarding taxpayer dollars. I’m glad the Senate Commerce Committee advance it, and I’ll keep pushing to get it signed into law.”
Background:
The MAP for Broadband Funding Act provides fresh oversight of the FCC’s Broadband Funding Map. This will ensure effectiveness and transparency in its mission to identify duplicative broadband deployment projects and expand networks to communities in need of internet access.
To meet this goal, the bill:
Directs the FCC to conduct a Notice of Inquiry on the Map’s function and breadth of data it displays for optimal usability, assessing any necessary updates from a user-experience perspective, and
Directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to evaluate how well federal agencies are populating the Map in compliance with current law, identifying any gaps in reporting for robust functionality and completeness.