H.R. 3193 would authorize the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to make grants to public-private partnerships and certain consortia to carry out projects that expand high-speed broadband access. In addition, the bill would provide greater flexibility to grant recipients by allowing them to combine grant funds with amounts made available under other federal programs and by providing credit toward the nonfederal share of a project’s cost to in-kind contributions. As a result of the changes, CBO expects that it would be easier for applicants to meet the necessary criteria and thus broadband projects would be approved more quickly. As a result, CBO estimates that existing balances that were previously appropriated for EDA programs would be spent faster than under current law. However, CBO estimates that enacting the bill would not increase net direct spending over the 2022-2031 period.
