To authorize grants for community telecommunications infrastructure planning and market development, and for other purposes.

June 19, 2003

Mrs. MURRAY (for herself, Mrs. BOXER, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. LEAHY, and Mr. PRYOR) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

To authorize grants for community telecommunications infrastructure planning and market development, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Community Telecommunications Planning Act of 2003'.

SEC. 2. COMMUNITY TELECOMMUNICATIONS PLANNING GRANTS.

(a) AUTHORITY TO MAKE GRANTS- Each Secretary concerned may, using amounts authorized to be appropriated by the applicable paragraph of subsection (g), make grants to eligible entities described in subsection (b) for the community telecommunications infrastructure planning and market development purposes described in subsection (c).

(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES- An entity eligible for a grant under this section is any local or tribal government, local non-profit entity, cooperative, public utility, or other public entity that proposes to use the amount of the grant for the community telecommunications infrastructure planning and market development purposes described in subsection (c).

(c) COMMUNITY TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE PLANNING AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT- Amounts from a grant made under this section shall be used for purposes of facilitating the development of a telecommunications infrastructure and market development plan for a locality by various means, including--

(1) by encouraging the involvement in the development of the plan of interested elements of the community concerned, including the business community, governments, telecommunications providers, and secondary and, where applicable, post-secondary educational institutions and their students;

(2) by enhancing the focus of the development of the plan on a wide range of telecommunications needs in the community concerned, including needs relating to local business, education, health care, and government;

(3) by enhancing the identification of a wide range of potential solutions for such needs through advanced telecommunications infrastructure; and

(4) by any other means that the Secretary concerned considers appropriate.

(d) GRANT PRIORITY FOR PLANNING FOR RURAL AND UNDERSERVED AREAS- In making grants under this section, each Secretary concerned shall give priority to eligible entities that propose to use the grants for community telecommunications infrastructure planning and market development for rural areas or underserved areas.

(e) ADMINISTRATION- Each Secretary concerned shall establish such administrative requirements for grants under this section, including requirements for applications for such grants, as such Secretary considers appropriate.

(f) DEFINITIONS- In this section:

(1) RURAL AREA- The term `rural area' means any county having a population density of less than 300 people per square mile as determined in the 2000 decennial census.

(2) SECRETARY CONCERNED- The term `Secretary concerned' means each of the following:

(A) The Secretary of Commerce.

(B) The Secretary of Agriculture.

(C) The Secretary of Education.

(3) UNDERSERVED AREA- The term `underserved area' means any census tract as determined in the 2000 decennial census which is located in--

(A) an empowerment zone or enterprise community designated under section 1391 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;

(B) the District of Columbia Enterprise Zone established under section 1400 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986;

(C) a renewal community designated under section 1400E of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; or

(D) a low-income community designated under section 45D of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

(g) AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS- There is authorized to be appropriated for purposes of making grants under this section--

(1) for the Department of Commerce--

(A) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and

(B) such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2005 and each subsequent fiscal year;

(2) for the Department of Agriculture--

(A) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and

(B) such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2005 and each subsequent fiscal year; and

(3) for the Department of Education--

(A) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and

(B) such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2005 and each subsequent fiscal year.

END