{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=99D2C89A-72DC-4071-925A-DCA2E7C8F261", "Fischer Leads Colleagues to Preserve States\u2019 Ability to Use Broadband Infrastructure Funds as Congress Intended", "2025-12-16", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NE", "Deb Fischer", "F000463", "www.fischer.senate.gov", "fischer", "https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) sent a letter to Arielle Roth, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), urging the administration to preserve states\u2019 ability to use their non-deployment Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program funds consistent with congressional intent and the bipartisan infrastructure law.\n\nFischer\u2019s letter also requests NTIA to provide a public accounting of unspent BEAD funds for each state, clarification of NTIA\u2019s current interpretation of allowable \u201cnon-deployment\u201d uses, and a timetable for revised guidance on non-deployment funds.\n\nU.S. Senators Luj\u00e1n (D-NM), Moran (R-KS), Cantwell (D-WA), Risch (R-ID), Rosen (D-NV), Crapo (R-ID), Shaheen (D-NH), Sullivan (R-AK), Markey (D-MA), Murkowski (R-AK), Baldwin (D-WI), Blunt Rochester (D-DE), and Klobuchar (D-MN) joined Fischer in sending the letter.\n\nThe lawmakers write:\u201cWe write to request the agency\u2019s attention to a major question emerging within the BEAD Program. Under the latest BEAD Notice of Funding Opportunity, many states likely will \u2014 or already do \u2014 have leftover BEAD allocations. Given the intent of Congress that these resources be used to expand broadband access nationwide, we respectfully seek clarity on how NTIA will ensure proper stewardship and redistribution of non-deployment funds to close the digital divide.\u201d\n\nFull text of the letter is here and below.\n\nDear Administrator Roth,\n\nWe write to request the agency\u2019s attention to a major question emerging within the BEAD Program. Under the latest BEAD Notice of Funding Opportunity, many states likely will \u2014 or already do \u2014 have leftover BEAD allocations. Given the intent of Congress that these resources be used to expand broadband access nationwide, we respectfully seek clarity on how NTIA will ensure proper stewardship and redistribution of non-deployment funds to close the digital divide.\n\nUnder the statutory framework established by Section 60102 of the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act (47 U.S.C. \u00a7 1702), BEAD funding was intended first and foremost to fund broadband expansion: deployment to unserved locations, then underserved areas and connection of eligible community anchor institutions, before consideration of a broader set of permissible \u201cnon-deployment\u201d uses to facilitate goals of the program. Congress granted this authority, along with the authority to redistribute unallocated funding amongst eligible entities, to maximize broadband infrastructure expansion \u2013 and thereby boost the economic productivity that connectivity brings to every corner of our country.\n\nThe current status of non-deployment funding, however, appears unsettled. While NTIA\u2019s recent guidance stated that allowable non-deployment purposes were still under review, we were encouraged by your public comments on December 2, 2025, stating that the agency is \u201coperating under the assumption that the states will get to use their BEAD savings,\u201d though noting that \u201cnothing has been finalized.\u201d\n\nGiven these considerations, we respectfully request that NTIA provide:\n\n1. A public accounting of the unspent BEAD funds for each state, including amounts already committed to deployment projects and amounts remaining unallocated or reserved for non-deployment uses;\n\n2. Clarification of NTIA\u2019s current interpretation of allowable \u201cnon-deployment\u201d uses in light of the June 2025 policy notice and consistent with authorized use of the funds under 47 U.S.C. \u00a7 1702 moving forward, and whether any previously approved non-deployment activities may remain eligible; and\n\n3. A timetable for revised guidance on non-deployment funds, along with any criteria or conditions under which non-deployment programs will be permitted or prioritized.\n\nIn responding, we strongly urge NTIA to preserve states\u2019 ability to use their non-deployment BEAD funds consistent with congressional intent and the bipartisan infrastructure law. We look forward to your timely reply and to ensuring that every BEAD dollar is used to connect Americans for generations to come, as Congress intended.\n\nPermalink: https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2025/12/fischer-leads-colleagues-to-preserve-states-ability-to-use-broadband-infrastructure-funds-as-congress-intended", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.fischer.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/news?ID=99D2C89A-72DC-4071-925A-DCA2E7C8F261"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4851470477879047, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}