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119-s-3084119th CongressWALLET

ReConnecting Rural America Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Senator Marshall, Roger [R-KS]

Introduced

Summary

Would create a nationwide ReConnect program to fund rural broadband buildout. It would set a 100 Mbps down and 100 Mbps up service floor, target the hardest‑to‑serve places, and authorize multi‑year grant and loan funding to reach them.

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  • Rural families and households: Would require project areas to generally be places where at least 75 percent of households lack 100/20 Mbps service, and would prioritize territories where 90 percent lack that service. This raises the chance that very remote communities get high‑speed connections.
  • Tribes and high‑need places: Grant‑only awards would favor Tribal organizations, colonias, persistent poverty counties, and socially vulnerable communities. That makes it easier for low‑income and historically underserved areas to get non‑repayable help.
  • Providers and state/local partners: Would allow states, tribes, co‑ops, private companies, and others to compete for grants, loans, or combinations. It would cap any single recipient or state at 15 percent of annual funds and allow up to 25 percent cost share with waivers and technical assistance.

*Would authorize $650 million per year in grants and $350 million per year in loans for FY2026–2030, increasing federal outlays over that period.*

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.

New ReConnect rural broadband program

This bill would create a nationwide ReConnect broadband program to fund rural broadband construction. It would give grants, loans, or both to States, tribes, cooperatives, local governments, corporations, and LLCs. Individuals and general partnerships of individuals would be ineligible. Projects would generally have to be in territories where at least 75% of households lack 100 Mbps down and 20 Mbps up to qualify, and projects in territories with 90% unserved would get top priority. Funded projects would be required to offer at least 100 Mbps down and 100 Mbps up, with the Secretary reviewing standards at least every 2 years. The Secretary could require up to a 25% cost share but could waive it for Tribal, colonia, persistent‑poverty, or socially vulnerable projects. Applicants would generally need to finish buildout within five years and agree to participate in Lifeline or a successor affordability program. The Secretary would use 3–5% of program funds for technical assistance and training.

Caps on provider and State awards

This bill would limit how much one provider or one State can get from the program each year. Any provider that serves at least 20% of U.S. households could not receive more than 15% of annual program funds. A State and its agencies together could not receive more than 15% of annual program funds. These caps apply to the amounts Congress authorizes and appropriates each year.

End prior 2018 ReConnect authority

This bill would remove the legal effect of section 779 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018. That repeal would take effect 120 days after enactment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Marshall, Roger [R-KS]

KS • R

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT]

    VT • D

    Sponsored 10/30/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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