Melanie Stansbury (D-NM)
Community Connect Grant Program Act of 2025
A Democratic bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is called the Community Connect Grant Program Act of 2025 and was introduced in the House of Representatives on November 17, 2025. It makes changes to the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 by updating the Community Connect Grant Program. The bill changes the transmission capacity speeds required for the program. It also updates the definition of an eligible rural area based on different transmission speeds. Finally, the legislation extends the program by changing the year in subsection (g) from 2023 to 2030.
Yes· 3 of 18
- Scored +9
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
Directly targets rural communities by expanding and modernizing grant programs for higher-speed internet access.
- Scored +8
Does this get reliable internet to more people?
Directly updates transmission capacity standards to 100-Mbps downstream and 20-Mbps upstream, significantly improving broadband access standards.
- Scored +7
Does this invest in rural communities?
The bill reauthorizes and updates the Community Connect Grant Program to expand and improve high-speed internet in rural areas.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Section 2(1)(A) updates the downstream transmission capacity to 100-Mbps and upstream to 20-Mbps, which is beneficial because it helps ensure people in these areas get faster internet speeds.
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Section 2(1)(B) updates the speeds for eligible rural areas to 25-Mbps for downstream and 3-Mbps for upstream, which is helpful for making sure more communities qualify for the help they need.
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Section 2(3) extends the program through the year 2030, which is positive because it keeps the grant program funded and active for longer so officials can keep working on rural internet access.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Based strictly on the provided text, there are no explicitly stated negative consequences or burdens for individuals or groups of people.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Directly targets rural communities by expanding and modernizing grant programs for higher-speed internet access. Would farmers be better off under this? — Aids farmers and agricultural workers who increasingly rely on high-speed internet for precision agriculture and business operations. Would business owners be better off under this? — Helps rural business owners by upgrading broadband infrastructure critical for modern commerce. Would students be better off under this? — Significantly aids rural students by ensuring faster and more reliable internet connections for remote learning and homework. Would children be better off under this? — Improves internet access for rural youth, facilitating better remote learning and educational resources. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — Supports working-age adults in rural areas with improved telework and business opportunities. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Enhances household internet speeds and reliability in eligible rural areas. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — Enables better access to telehealth services and digital communication for seniors living in rural areas. Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — Benefits rural veterans by improving connectivity for telehealth and online veteran services. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Provides better connectivity for remote work, education, and digital engagement for young adults in rural communities. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Expands broadband infrastructure grants that help bridge the digital divide for underserved rural households. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — Better broadband access supports telehealth and remote accessibility options for individuals with disabilities in rural areas. Would retired people be better off under this? — Improves communication and healthcare access for retirees living in rural communities.
- Education And Technology
- Does this get reliable internet to more people? — Directly updates transmission capacity standards to 100-Mbps downstream and 20-Mbps upstream, significantly improving broadband access standards.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — Enhanced internet speeds support rural small businesses by improving access to digital tools and markets. Is this likely to grow the economy? — Investing in rural broadband infrastructure can stimulate local economic development.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — The bill reauthorizes and updates the Community Connect Grant Program to expand and improve high-speed internet in rural areas.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — Better broadband connectivity indirectly supports telehealth services in rural areas.
- 3/25/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/2/2025
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.
- 11/17/2025
- Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Josh GottheimerDemocrat · New Jersey