Last week, U.S. Rep. Dan Webster, R-Fla., helped get the “Eliminating Barriers to Rural Internet Development Grant Eligibility (E-BRIDGE) Act” through the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
The bill from U.S. Rep. Sam Graces, R-Mo., who leads the committee, “removes hurdles for broadband projects under Economic Development Administration (EDA) grants, including difficult last-mile efforts that often delay rural broadband deployment.” Webster, who sits on the committee, is one of seven co-sponsors.
“We know broadband impacts the ability of distressed communities to attract jobs and businesses across a host of other industries, including the healthcare and energy sectors,” said Webster. “I thank my colleagues in committee for their support of this commonsense bill, which removes unnecessary hurdles and helps more Americans get connected. I want to make sure that efforts to achieve this goal do not harm existing rural broadband providers which are often small businesses themselves that have spent capital and time trying to reach these communities – often in creative ways.”
The committee passed the bill on a 58-2 vote. The bill now heads to the full House. There is currently no version of the bill in the U.S. Senate.
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