Rural Broadband Protection Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Houchin
Passed House
Summary
Creates a new vetting process for High-Cost Universal Service Program funding to ensure only applicants with proven technical, financial, and operational capacity receive awards. The bill also requires enforceable penalties and keeps awards technology neutral.
Show full summary
- Providers and applicants would need to submit detailed proposals and documentation showing technical, financial, and operational capability and a reasonable business plan. They face penalties for pre-authorization defaults of at least $9,000 per violation and a minimum base forfeiture of 30 percent of their total support.
- Rural communities and consumers could see funding go to more capable firms, because awards must meet FCC performance standards and applicants’ compliance history will be checked.
- The Federal Communications Commission would be required to start a rulemaking within 180 days of enactment and evaluate applicants using well-established technical and financial standards, including those tied to the Digital Opportunity Data Collection.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Tougher checks and fines for broadband funding
The FCC would create a new vetting process for applicants to the high-cost broadband program. It would start a rulemaking within 180 days and require detailed proof of technical, financial, and operational capacity, plus a reasonable business plan. Applications would be judged against established standards and past compliance, using a technology-neutral approach. If an applicant defaults before authorization, fines would be at least $9,000 per violation, with a base forfeiture of no less than 30% of total support unless the FCC shows a need for less. These rules would apply to applications filed on or after the date the FCC finalizes them.
Free Policy Watch
You just read the policy. Now see what it costs you.
Pick a topic. PRIA runs your household against live legislation and sends you a free personalized readout.
Pick a topic to get started
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Houchin
IN • R
Cosponsors
Kelly (IL)
IL • D
Sponsored 3/27/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.govLive Policy Activity
LiveSurfaced from PRIA's policy knowledge graph — ranked by signal strength, connected by evidence.
Deep Dive
· Polipedia policy encyclopediaYouth Conservation Corps & Public Lands Corps
The federal government runs two closely related conservation-workforce pipelines on public lands: the Youth Conservation Corps YCC and the Public Lands Corps PLC. YCC is a summer employment program fo
WTO Membership & Uruguay Round Agreements Act
The Uruguay Round Agreements Act URAA of 1994 19 U.S.C. §§ 3501–3624 implemented U.S. membership in the World Trade Organization WTO and incorporated the Uruguay Round trade agreements — the broadest
World Trade Center Health Program (James Zadroga Act)
The World Trade Center Health Program is a federally funded health benefits program that provides free medical monitoring and treatment to those who were exposed to the toxic dust, debris, and fumes f
Workers' Compensation
Workers' compensation is the United States' primary workplace injury system — a no-fault insurance program where employees who are injured on the job receive medical coverage and partial wage replacem
Take It Personal
Get Your Personalized Policy View
Start a Free Government Policy Watch to see how policy affects your household, then upgrade to PRIA Full Coverage for year-round monitoring.
Already have an account? Sign in