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Pub. L. 119-89 · S. 98 · 119th Congress

Rural Broadband Protection Act of 2025

Signed into law May 11, 2026 · Science, Technology, Communications

Read the law Congress.gov record

What this law does

  • Requires the FCC to create, through a rulemaking, a process to vet applicants for funds that support broadband in high-cost areas such as rural communities.
  • Requires applicants to show they have the technical, financial, and operational ability and a reasonable business plan for the project.
  • Requires the FCC to consider each applicant's past compliance with other government broadband funding programs.
  • Allows funds only for applicants who meet the new standards, and requires penalties for applicants who default during review.
1 subject in this law: Rural broadband funding

Plain-language list by Voting On, based only on the official summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service and the bill's titles. Read the official summary.

How it became law

  1. IntroducedJan 15, 2025 · Senate
  2. 162 daysPassed SenateJun 26, 2025
  3. 298 daysPassed HouseApr 20, 2026
  4. 10 daysPresented to the PresidentApr 30, 2026
  5. 11 daysSigned into lawMay 11, 2026
481days, introduction to signature
162days to pass the Senate
298more days to pass the House
Nowent back to a chamber after changes
Novetoed

Official summary

Rural Broadband Protection Act of 2025

This act requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to vet the qualifications of applicants for certain funding programs that support affordable broadband deployment in high-cost areas (e.g., rural communities).

Specifically, the FCC must develop a vetting process for applicants seeking funding under high-cost universal service programs for the deployment of a broadband-capable network and the provision of supported services over the network. The FCC must require applicants to submit a proposal that contains sufficient detail and documentation for the FCC to ascertain that the applicant possesses the technical, financial, and operational capabilities related to the proposed deployment and has a reasonable business plan. The FCC must evaluate applications against reasonable and well-established standards and must consider each applicant’s history of compliance with the requirements of other government broadband funding programs.

The FCC must establish this vetting process through a rulemaking proceeding. After the rule is finalized, funds may only be awarded to applicants that satisfy the standards established therein.

Finally, the FCC must set financial penalties for applicants that default in some manner during the evaluation process before they are authorized to begin receiving support.

Summary by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (Public Law, May 11, 2026).

Who wrote it

Sponsor: Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV]

4 cosponsors: 3 Democrats, 1 Republicans. 2 signed on the day it was introduced, 2 joined later.

Show all cosponsors
CosponsorSigned on
Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]Jan 15, 2025Original cosponsor
Sen. Curtis, John R. [R-UT]Jan 15, 2025Original cosponsor
Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]Mar 11, 2025
Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA]Dec 16, 2025

Recorded votes

No recorded roll-call votes. It passed by voice vote or unanimous consent, where individual votes are not recorded.

What was added

Amendments adopted (0)

No floor amendments were adopted. Any changes were made in committee or in a later version of the bill.

Sections in the final law that were not in the first version (Introduced in Senate) (0)

None. Every section heading in the final law was already in the first version (Introduced in Senate).

What was removed

Sections in the first version (Introduced in Senate) that did not make it into the law (0)

None. Every section heading from the first version (Introduced in Senate) remains in the law.

Compared by section heading between the Introduced in Senate text (Jan 15, 2025) and the Enrolled Bill text, both from GovInfo. Wording changes inside a section that kept its heading are not shown here; see the amendments and the text versions.

Proposed but not adopted

No amendments were voted down or withdrawn.

Full action history

Show all 23 official actions
May 11, 2026Signed by President.
May 11, 2026Signed by President.
May 11, 2026Became Public Law No: 119-89.
May 11, 2026Became Public Law No: 119-89.
Apr 30, 2026Presented to President.
Apr 30, 2026Presented to President.
Apr 20, 2026Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Apr 20, 2026Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2977)
Apr 20, 2026On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H2977)
Apr 20, 2026DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 98.
Apr 20, 2026Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2976-2978)
Apr 20, 2026Mr. Allen moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
Jul 3, 2025Held at the desk.
Jul 3, 2025Received in the House.
Jun 27, 2025Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Jun 26, 2025Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
Jun 26, 2025Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S3570; text: CR S3570)
Apr 28, 2025Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz without amendment. With written report No. 119-14.
Apr 28, 2025Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz without amendment. With written report No. 119-14.
Apr 28, 2025Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 48.
Feb 5, 2025Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Jan 15, 2025Introduced in Senate
Jan 15, 2025Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Sources: Congress.gov (bill record, sponsors, actions, amendments, CRS summary) and GovInfo (official text). Days are calendar days.