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  "description": "The House-passed USDA funding bill would provide $40 million for the program in FY27",
  "path": "/senate-farm-bill-would-codify-reconnect-program/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-24T19:47:54.000Z",
  "site": "https://broadbandbreakfast.com",
  "tags": [
    "Learn about America250 / Telecom150",
    "GOP draft version",
    "House farm bill",
    "Politico",
    "USDA funding bill"
  ],
  "textContent": "WASHINGTON, June 24, 2026 – Senate Republicans’ farm bill would codify the ReConnect program and update its eligibility and build out standards.\n\nThe program, run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has spent $5.5 billion on rural broadband projects since 2018, but has in all that time operated as a pilot program.\n\nLearn about America250 / Telecom150\n\n\n                            Learn about America250 / Telecom150\n                        \n\nThe Senate GOP draft version of the farm bill, released Tuesday, would allow $100 million to be appropriated for ReConnect annually through 2031, but wouldn’t actually set the money aside.\n\nThe House-passed USDA funding bill, which makes the appropriations for the agency’s programs, would provide $40 million for the program in fiscal year 2027. Senate appropriators have not released the text of their FY27 USDA funding bill.\n\nThe Senate farm bill would also target ReConnect projects at areas where 90 percent of households lack access to 25 * 3 megabits per second (Mbps) broadband, and require minimum speeds of 100 * 20 Mbps for funded builds. It also included provisions aimed at preventing the regulation of broadband rates as part of the program and increasing coordination among broadband funding agencies.\n\nThe House farm bill, which the chamber passed in April by a margin of 224-200, would also codify ReConnect and reauthorize other USDA broadband programs. The bill would set minimum speeds for ReConnect-funded projects at 50 * 25 Mbps, less than the 100 * 20 Mbps federal standard for high-speed broadband, and also target eligibility at areas lacking access to 25 * 3 Mbps service.\n\nThe Senate version of the bill is led by Sen. **John Boozman** , R-Ark., the chair of the chamber’s agriculture committee. Politico reported Tuesday that Boozman was looking to have his committee mark up his bill after the Fourth of July.\n\nThe Senate farm bill did not include top Democratic priorities, and Democrats on the Senate Agriculture Committee released a joint statement saying they wanted changes to provisions related to food stamps.\n\n“We appreciate that bipartisan provisions have been included in the discussion draft and stand ready to work with Republicans to negotiate a bipartisan Farm Bill that both meets the moment and can be successful on the Senate Floor,” they said.\n\n### _USDA funding bill_\n\nThe House narrowly passed its USDA funding bill on June 4, by a margin of 213-210.Those opposed were nearly all Democrats and those in favor were nearly all Republicans.\n\nThe bill would provide $40 million for ReConnect in fiscal year 2027, part of a broader package of $638 million for rural broadband loans and grants. That’s more than the Trump administration had asked for.\n\nIn its budget proposal, the USDA suggested zeroing out ReConnect entirely.\n\n**Karl Elmshaeuser** , head of the agency’s Rural Utilities Service, said at an April event that a sixth round of ReConnect funding would be coming “sooner than later.” The program has spent $5.5 billion since 2018 on rural broadband and received $51 million from Congress for FY26.",
  "title": "Senate Farm Bill Would Codify ReConnect Program",
  "updatedAt": "2026-07-07T21:48:08.448Z"
}