With respect to a Tribal College or University that is located on land held in trust by the United States, the Assistant Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, may establish a different maximum distance for the purposes of subparagraph (A)(i) if the Assistant Secretary is able to ensure that, in establishing that different maximum distance, each anchor community that is established as a result of that action is statistically comparable to other anchor communities described in subparagraph (A).
The term “Assistant Secretary” means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information.
The term “broadband internet access service” has the meaning given the term in section 8.1(b) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.
The term “connected device” means a laptop computer, tablet computer, or similar device that is capable of connecting to broadband internet access service.
The term “historically Black college or university” has the meaning given the term “part B institution” in section 1061 of title 20.
The term “minority business enterprise” has the meaning given the term in section 1400.2 of title 15, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.
The term “Pilot Program” means the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program established under the rules promulgated by the Assistant Secretary under subsection (c)(1).
The term “Tribal College or University” has the meaning given the term in section 1059c(b) of title 20.
The term “Wi-Fi” means a wireless networking protocol based on Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers standard 802.11, or any successor standard.
Not later than 180 days after December 27, 2020, the Assistant Secretary shall establish within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives.
The Office shall be headed by the Director of the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives, who shall be appointed by the Assistant Secretary.
Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Assistant Secretary submits a report under subparagraph (A), the Assistant Secretary shall, to the extent feasible, make that report publicly available.
There is established in the Treasury of the United States a fund to be known as the Connecting Minority Communities Fund.
Amounts in the Connecting Minority Communities Fund established under subparagraph (A) shall be available to the Assistant Secretary to provide support under the rules promulgated under paragraph (1).
When making grants under the Pilot Program, the Assistant Secretary shall coordinate with other Federal agencies, including the Commission, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Education, to ensure the efficient expenditure of Federal funds, including by preventing multiple expenditures of Federal funds for the same purpose.
For each of fiscal years 2021 and 2022, the Inspector General of the Department of Commerce shall conduct an audit of the Pilot Program according to the requirements established under paragraph (1)(B)(v).
After completing each audit conducted under subparagraph (A), the Inspector General of the Department of Commerce shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report that details the findings of the audit.
There is appropriated, out of amounts in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, to remain available until expended, $285,000,000 to the Connecting Minority Communities Fund established under paragraph (2).
Except with respect to the report required under paragraph (7) and the authority of the Secretary of Commerce and the Inspector General of the Department of Commerce described in paragraph (8), the Pilot Program, including all reporting requirements under this section, shall terminate on the date on which the amounts made available to carry out the Pilot Program are fully expended.