PLAN for Broadband Act

The "Proper Leadership to Align Networks for Broadband Act," or the PLAN for Broadband Act , mandates the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to develop a comprehensive National Strategy to Synchronize Federal Broadband Programs. This strategy, to be created in consultation with numerous federal agencies, aims to ensure that funding for broadband programs is used efficiently and responsibly to provide high-speed, affordable internet access to all Americans. It seeks to improve interagency coordination, streamline permitting processes, and reduce unnecessary barriers and costs associated with federal broadband initiatives. The National Strategy must identify all federal, state, and local broadband programs, describe current coordination efforts, and pinpoint gaps or limitations hindering effective interagency collaboration. It will establish clear roles, responsibilities, goals, and performance measures for managing federal broadband programs and interagency coordination. Furthermore, the strategy will recommend legislative and administrative actions to help state, local, and Tribal governments efficiently distribute funding, avoid duplication of infrastructure, and promote access to necessary deployment infrastructure. Following the strategy, an Implementation Plan must be developed to put these recommendations into action. This plan will detail how to streamline policies across covered agencies, potentially set subsidy limits for non-technologically neutral programs, and establish mechanisms for holding agencies accountable. It will also outline a plan for adopting common data sets, including the Deployment Locations Map, to prevent awards in already served or obligated areas, and to monitor and reduce waste, fraud, and abuse in federal broadband programs. A draft of this plan will be subject to public comment. The bill also includes provisions for a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study to examine the efficacy of the Strategy and Implementation Plan, focusing on coordination, performance goals, and the prevention of duplicative awards. Additionally, it requires covered agencies to report on their efforts to populate the Deployment Locations Map and amends existing law to improve the tracking and processing times for communications use applications on federal property, while also adjusting the NEPA threshold for certain large broadband projects.