Hoosier State Today

U.S. Senators Todd Young and Rick Scott have introduced the Broadband Buildout Accountability Act, a bicameral initiative aimed at increasing transparency in broadband investments funded by taxpayer dollars. The proposed legislation seeks to address concerns about the effective deployment of broadband services to underserved communities across the United States.

Senator Young emphasized the importance of transparency in broadband deployment, stating, "Our bill will provide much-needed transparency to ensure that broadband is effectively being deployed to unserved communities, helping to close the digital divide for all Americans."

The act responds to a significant investment made in 2023 when $42 billion was allocated through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Package's Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program grant. This grant was awarded to the National Technology Information Administration (NTIA), which currently operates with an exemption from the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The new legislation proposes removing this exemption and mandating proof of expenditure for the $42 billion grant to safeguard against misuse of taxpayer funds.

Alongside Senators Young and Scott, several other U.S. Senators have cosponsored the bill, including John Barrasso, Marsha Blackburn, John Curtis, Dan Sullivan, Roger Wicker, and Jerry Moran. Companion legislation has also been introduced in the House of Representatives by Representatives August Pfluger, Buddy Carter, Neal Dunn, Troy Balderson, Randy Weber, and Russ Fulcher.

The full text of the legislation is available for public review.