WASHINGTON, D.C. Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) has introduce the House companion bill to Sen. Rick Scott’s (R-FL) Broadband Buildout Accountability Act to increase transparency for the $42 billion Bipartisan Infrastructure Package (BIF) Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program grant awarded to the National Technology Information Administration (NTIA), which is currently exempted 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 $42 billion is spent to ensure taxpayer dollars are not misused.
“As a member of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, I have been working to help close the digital divide—which greatly affects our district and much of rural America. I am proud to work with Senator Rick Scott in introducing the Broadband Buildout Accountability Act to provide greater transparency within the BEAD process and ensure that $42 billion taxpayer dollars are not subject to fraud, waste, or misuse,” Pfluger said in a news release.
Original co-sponsors include Representatives Russ Fulcher (ID-01), Randy Weber (TX-14), Neal P. Dunn (FL-02), Judge Carter (TX-31), Troy Balderson (OH-12), and John Joyce (PA-13).
