House Bill Would Make Big Tech Help Fund Universal Broadband Access
This bill is sitting in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and has not moved since June 2025. Nothing has happened with this proposal for 12 months, and it is considered stalled. A similar bill in the Senate is also not moving forward.
Companion bill: Congress Proposes Requiring Big Tech and Internet Companies to Fund Rural Broadband Expansion →No action since June 2025
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Critics argue the bill, which they dub the 'Raising Communications Costs for Taxpayers Act,' would lead to higher app prices and less free content by taxing 'edge providers' like search engines and streaming services to fund the Universal Service Fund.
The legislation directs the FCC to require edge and broadband providers to contribute to the Universal Service Fund (USF), aiming to reduce the financial burden on consumers and rural providers while strengthening broadband access in rural America.
The Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act would see providers that account for more than 3% of total U.S. annual internet traffic and earn more than $5 billion in annual revenue contribute to the USF, though similar past efforts have struggled to gain traction.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act of 2025
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.