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Broadband DATA Act

Public Law 116-130 · S. 1822 · 116th Congress · began in the Senate

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Mar 23, 2020 · Science, Technology, Communications

Sponsor: Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS)

Cosponsors (69): Sen. Gary Peters,

Passage votes

  • HouseUnanimous consent
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act or the Broadband DATA Act

This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to change the way broadband data is collected, verified, and reported.

Specifically, the FCC must collect and disseminate granular broadband service availability data (broadband maps) from wired, fixed-wireless, satellite, and mobile broadband providers. To do this, the FCC is required to establish the Broadband Serviceable Location Fabric (a dataset of geocoded information for all broadband service locations, atop which broadband maps are overlaid) as the vehicle for reporting broadband service availability data.

Additionally, the FCC must put forth specified requirements for service availability data collected from broadband providers, and it must create a challenge process to enable the submission of independent data challenging the accuracy of FCC broadband maps.

The FCC must conduct regular audits of information submitted by providers, and it must develop a process whereby entities or individuals may submit information about the deployment and availability of broadband service to verify and supplement information submitted by providers. The FCC must also provide data collection and submission assistance to Indian tribes; small service providers; consumers; and state, local, and tribal governments.

The Government Accountability Office must report on identified locations where fixed broadband can be installed to improve the quality and completeness of data sources for the fabric.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 23 actions.

  1. Mar 23, 2020Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 116-130.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Mar 12, 2020FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Mar 11, 2020FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. Mar 10, 2020Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to S.1822 by Unanimous Consent.
  6. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  7. OtherOther · Resolving differences -- Senate actions: Senate agreed to the House amendment to S.1822 by Unanimous Consent.
  8. Mar 4, 2020FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill.
  9. Mar 3, 2020FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  10. FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
  11. FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
  12. FloorFloor · Mr. Pallone asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
  13. Dec 19, 2019FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
  14. FloorFloor · Received in the House.
  15. FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  16. FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  17. FloorFloor · The committee substitute withdrawn by Unanimous Consent.
  18. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  19. Dec 12, 2019CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 328.
  20. CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Wicker with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 116-174.
  21. Jul 24, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
  22. Jun 12, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  23. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

2 amendments offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • H.Amdt. 803HouseRep. Frank PalloneD-NJ-6· offered Mar 3, 2020Agreed to

    An amendment to strike out all after the enacting clause and insert a new text entitled "Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act" or the "Broadband DATA Act".

    Mar 3, 2020: On agreeing to the Pallone amendment (A001) Agreed to without objection.

    Agreed to

  • S.Amdt. 1268SenateSen. Roger WickerR-MS· offered Dec 19, 2019Agreed to

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Dec 19, 2019: Amendment SA 1268 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.