Page 24 - PCCAJournal4thQuarter2011

Basic HTML Version

PCCA Journal|4
th
Quarter 2011
24
expense (24 percent), and the lack of
an adequate computer (15 percent).
Not surprisingly, individuals without
broadband service at home relied on
locations such as public libraries (20
percent) or other people’s houses (12
percent) to go online.
Long-term trends in internet and
computer use:
Between 2001 and 2010, broadband
internet use at home, regardless of
technology type, rose from 9 percent
to 68 percent of households.
Between 1997 and 2010, internet use
among households, regardless of
technology type, rose from 19 percent
to 71 percent.
More than three quarters (77 per-
cent) of American households had a
computer at home in 2010, up from 62
percent in 2003.
The full report is available at www.
esa.doc.gov/reports/exploring-digital-
nation-computer-and-internet-use-home.
House Looks to Reclaim
Broadband Stimulus Funds
T
he U.S. House of Representatives on October
5 approved legislation (HR 1343) that would
require the return of unused or reclaimed stim-
ulus funds that were earmarked for promoting
broadband access in rural and remote regions
of the country. House Republicans brought up the bill under
a suspension of rules, usually reserved for noncontroversial
measures, and it easily passed via voice vote.
Rep. Charlie Bass (R-NH) introduced the resolution on April
4 and it was referred to the House Committee on Energy and
Commerce and the House Committee on Agriculture. The bill
would require the administrator of the Rural Utilities Service
or the assistant secretary of Commerce for Communications
and Information to terminate any award (including grants and
loans) made under the Broadband Initiatives Program or the
Broadband Technology Opportunities Program established pur-
suant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
(ARRA), if the agencies determine that cause exists (including
insufficient level of performance, wasteful spending, or fraudu-
lent spending) to terminate the award.
The bill would direct the agencies to deobligate, upon
terminating such an award, an amount equivalent to such
award, as recoverable, less allowable costs and return to the
treasury’s general fund such deobligated amounts and any
award returned or disclaimed by a recipient after enactment.
The bill would require that the Administrator or the Assis-
tant Secretary pursue available corrective measures to ensure
that funds received through an award terminated are not
expended during the termination process.
H.R. 1343 would require that if the Administrator of the
Rural Utilities Service or the Assistant Secretary of Commerce
for Communications and Information receives information
from an official with respect to an award made under these
programs, and such information pertains to material noncom-
pliance with the award terms or provisions or improper usage
of award funds, the administrator or the assistant secretary
must:
1.
Immediately review such information; and
2.
No later than 30 days after receiving such information,
determine whether cause exists to terminate such award,
unless the official who provided such information recom-
mends that the Administrator or the Assistant Secretary
limit or not make such a determination.
ARRA established two programs to promote the develop-
ment of broadband services. The NTIA awarded $4.4 billion
in grants to public and private entities to develop a map of
broadband availability nationwide and to encourage con-
struction and use of broadband networks. The RUS awarded
$2.3 billion in grants and $1.2 billion in federal loans to fund
the deployment and construction of broadband infrastructure
in rural areas.
Both agencies are required under current law to promptly
terminate grants for wasteful or fraudulent spending or for
failure to meet specific performance milestones. In addition,
the Pay-It-Back-Act (Public Law 111-203) requires agencies
to promptly return to the treasury any funds awarded under
ARRA that are terminated. Thus, restating those require-
ments, as provided in H.R. 1343, would not affect federal
spending or revenues.
Based on information from the agencies, the Congressional
Budget Office estimated that implementing the new reporting
requirements in H.R. 1343 would have no significant effect
on spending subject to appropriation. Enacting H.R. 1343
would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-
as-you-go procedures do not apply.
News Briefs
Continued from page 23