1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Rural Telecommunications and Broadband Service Act of 2017 . 2. Rural Telecommunications and Broadband Advisory Committee Title I of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 13. Rural Telecommunications and Broadband Advisory Committee (a) Establishment There is established within the Commission the Rural Telecommunications and Broadband Advisory Committee (in this section referred to as the Committee ). (b) Purpose The Committee shall— (1) provide advice to the Commission and reports to Congress with respect to policy issues relating to telecommunications services in rural areas, including advice and recommendations that would— (A) promote the deployment of advanced and next-generation telecommunications services in rural areas; and (B) advance the principles described in section 254(b); and (2) advise the Commission with respect to the impact that agenda items of the Commission could have on the provision of telecommunications services in rural areas. (c) Membership (1) Number of members The Committee shall be composed of not fewer than 5 and not more than 30 members. (2) Appointment The members of the Committee, other than the co-Chairs described in paragraph (6), shall be appointed by the chairman of the Commission with the concurrence of the senior commissioner of the Commission from the party of which the chairman is not a member. (3) Removal A member of the Committee may be removed only upon the concurrence of both the chairman of the Commission and the senior commissioner of the Commission from the party of which the chairman is not a member. (4) Terms Each member of the Committee appointed under paragraph (2)— (A) shall serve for a term of 2 years; and (B) may be reappointed for additional terms. (5) Representation of membership The membership of the Committee shall— (A) be balanced with respect to the functions that the members of the Committee perform