Rural America Communication Expansion for the Future Act of 2008

To improve access to broadband service in rural and underserved areas of the United States, and for other purposes.

4/2/2008--Introduced.
Rural America Communication Expansion for the Future Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit taxpayers in rural or underserved areas to elect to expense broadband expenditures, including installation and connection costs. Permits mutual or cooperative telephone companies to reduce their unrelated business taxable income in any year by the amount of their broadband expenditures. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to designate census tracts identifying rural and underserved areas. Prohibits federal or state agencies from adopting regulations and ratemaking procedures that would eliminate or reduce the broadband expense deduction provided by this Act. Allows a business-related tax credit for providing broadband services to rural or underserved subscribers through the radio transmission of energy. Amends the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act to establish a grant to a local government with at least one rural or underserved area to establish publicly available broadband networks. Extends funding for:
(1) public safety communications interoperability;
(2) 911 access; and
(3) telehealth programs. Revises provisions relating to rural area loans and loan guarantees regarding access to broadband telecommunications services, including revising the definition of "eligible rural community." Requires designation of a National Center for Rural Telecommunications Assessment. Establishes the Community Connect Grant Program to provide broadband service that fosters economic growth and delivers enhanced educational, health care, and public safety services. Amends the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990 to authorize grants to noncommercial education television broadcast stations that serve rural areas to enhance digital services. Extends the termination date of the authority to guarantee bonds or notes for electrification or telephone purposes.


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Sponsor

• Rep. Thomas Allen [D, ME-1]

Committees

• House Agriculture
• 3 more
  • House Energy and Commerce
  • House Ways and Means
  • House Energy and Commerce
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Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to H.R.5682

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by House		Voted on by Senate		Considered By President		Bill Becomes Law
April 02, 2008

Show All Actions (6 actions)Hide Actions

All Bill Actions

• Apr 02, 2008: Referred to House Agriculture
• Apr 02, 2008: Referred to House Ways and Means
• Apr 02, 2008: Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.
• Apr 02, 2008: Referred to House Energy and Commerce
• Apr 02, 2008: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
• Introduced on Apr 02, 2008.

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Blog Coverage

July 21, 2008 Text ofHyde Act

HR 5682 One Hundred Ninth Congress of the United States of America AT THE SECOND SESSION Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday, the third day of January, two thousand and six An Act To exempt from certain requirements of ...

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Source: Sarvajan Swaraj Abhiyaan

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July 04, 2008 Why the Nuclear Deal is Bad for India?

Strategically swallowing a bullet: Let’s get to strategic issues, as per the Hyde act as amended by both the Senate and the House of Representatives in the US (Bills: HR 5682 and S. 3709, a comparison of the two can be found here) and ...

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Source: South Asia Times

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July 03, 2008 Why the Nuclear deal is bad for India

Strategically swallowing a bullet: Let’s get to strategic issues, as per the Hyde act as amended by both the Senate and the House of Representatives in the US (Bills: HR 5682 and S. 3709, a comparison of the two can be found here) and ...

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Source: Inside the mind and heart of Venkatesh Sridhar

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