April 27, 2026
Ms. Smith introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
To amend the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 to reauthorize the Community Connect Grant Program, 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 Connect Grant Program Act of 2026
.
Sec. 2. Community Connect Grant Program
Section 604 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb–3) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a)—
(A)
in paragraph (1), by striking less than the
and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting the following: “less than—
(A)
a 100-Mbps downstream transmission capacity; and
(B)
a 20-Mbps upstream transmission capacity.; and
(B)
in paragraph (2)—
(i)
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking an area
and inserting a rural area
;
(ii)
in subparagraph (A), by striking 10-Mbps
and inserting 25-Mbps
; and
(iii)
in subparagraph (B), by striking 1-Mbps
and inserting 3-Mbps
;
(2)
in subsection (d)(2)(A), by striking area; or
and inserting area (including any eligible broadband service that will be provided in the future in the eligible service area pursuant to enforceable commitments for network deployment applicable under another broadband funding program); or
; and
(3)
in subsection (g), by striking 2023
and inserting 2031
.