Senators Young, Scott introduce bill to protect taxpayer dollars in broadband investment

U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) introduced the bicameral Broadband Buildout Accountability Act, which would increase transparency and protect billions of taxpayer dollars in broadband investment. 

“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,” said Senator Young. 

In 2023, the U.S. government invested $42 billion of taxpayer dollars in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Package (BIF) Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program grant awarded to the National Technology Information Administration (NTIA), which is currently exempt from transparency requirements under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The Broadband Buildout Accountability Act would remove the FOIA exemption and require proof of how the grant program spends the $42 billion to ensure taxpayer dollars are not misused.

In addition to Senators Young and Scott, U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) have also cosponsored the bill. U.S. Representatives August Pfluger (R-TX-11), Buddy Carter (R-GA-01), Neal Dunn (R-FL-02), Troy Balderson (R-OH-12), Randy Weber (R-TX-14), and Russ Fulcher (R-ID-01) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

Full text of the legislation is available here.