	Background

Signed into law on February 17, 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, P.L. 111-5 ) provided $7.2 billion for broadband grant and loan programs at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the Department of Commerce (DOC) and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). For both BTOP and BIP, all projects will be closed out and unobligated funds returned to the U.S. Treasury on September 30, 2015. With regard to project completion, the primary area of concern is the public safety broadband projects. Recipients and subrecipients are monitored by agency staff to ensure that project goals, performance, timelines, milestones, budgets, and other requirements are being met. In cases where NTIA or RUS detects waste, fraud, or abuse, or where it is determined that the awardee is not fulfilling the terms of the award conditions, the agencies have the authority to take back the funding (deobligate) and return the money to the U.S. Treasury. Program Evaluation

There is another question separate from how effectively the broadband awards are being managed by the agencies and implemented by the recipients: how effective overall are the ARRA broadband programs in meeting the goals of providing broadband service to unserved and underserved areas, increasing broadband adoption levels, and generally contributing to the nation's economic development? Issues for Congress

In the 114 th Congress, a number of committees—including the House Committee on Energy and Commerce; the House Committee on Agriculture; the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; and the House and Senate Appropriations Committees—have continued to monitor the ARRA broadband programs in NTIA and RUS. Program Deadline

With the September 30, 2015, deadline approaching, Congress has expressed concern that some BIP and BTOP projects may not be fully completed before all unspent funding permanently returns to the U.S. Treasury for deficit reduction. Funding for Oversight and Program Administration

In addition to issuing BTOP and BIP awards, both NTIA and RUS must oversee and administer those awarded projects as they progress toward completion. According to the National Broadband Plan:
BTOP and BIP alone will not be sufficient to close the broadband availability gap. Other government support is required to complete the task of connecting the nation to ensure that broadband reaches the highest-cost areas of the country.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, P.L. 111-5) provided an unprecedented level of federal funding for broadband projects across the nation. These projects are intended to expand broadband availability and adoption in unserved and underserved areas, which in turn is believed to contribute to increased future economic development in those areas.
The ARRA provided nearly $7 billion for broadband grant and loan programs to be administered by two separate agencies: the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the Department of Commerce (DOC) and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). With the ARRA broadband projects awarded and with many complete and others nearing completion, NTIA and RUS are monitoring the awards to protect against waste, fraud, and abuse, and to ensure that each project reaches its promised milestones, goals, and outcomes. A key oversight role is played by the Offices of Inspector General in the DOC and the USDA, which are monitoring the projects for waste, fraud, and abuse, and are investigating specific complaints. Both NTIA and RUS have the authority to reclaim and recover awards (either for cause or in cases where awardees decide not to pursue the project) and return the deobligated funds to the U.S. Treasury. Meanwhile, all undisbursed federal funds for the ARRA broadband program will be returned to the Treasury on September 30, 2015.
Congress plays an important oversight role. A number of committees, including the House Committee on Energy and Commerce; the House Committee on Agriculture; the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; and the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have jurisdiction over the ARRA broadband programs in NTIA and RUS.
As the ARRA broadband projects move toward completion, the primary issue for Congress is how to ensure that the money is being spent wisely and will most effectively provide broadband service to areas of the nation that need it most, while at the same time minimizing any unwarranted disruption to private sector broadband deployment. A rising concern is whether all projects will be completed by the September 30, 2015, deadline. If not, all unspent monies will be returned to the U.S. Treasury for deficit reduction. Congress will also be assessing how the broadband stimulus projects fit into the overall goals of the National Broadband Plan.