The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced that it is requesting public comment on a wide range of policy and program considerations associated with new broadband grant programs authorized and funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL): the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program, the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program, and the State Digital Equity Planning Grant Program. 

The BIL provides $65 billion to expand broadband in communities across the U.S. Of those funds, $48.2 billion is allocated to NTIA to deploy broadband to unserved and underserved locations, create more low-cost broadband service options, deploy middle mile infrastructure, and address the digital equity and inclusion needs in our communities. To fulfill the goals of the statute, NTIA is interested in input on the program design, policy issues, and implementation considerations for these new programs. Commenters are encouraged to address any or all the questions enumerated in the Request for Comment that is available here:  ntia.gov/other-publication/2022/.... Written comments may be submitted to regulations.gov by 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on February 4, 2022. All comments submitted will be posted publicly on regulations.gov.

In addition to requesting written comment, NTIA will continue a series of public virtual listening sessions in connection with the BIL programs in January and February 2022. Registration information for these sessions is on the BroadbandUSA website at broadbandusa.ntia.doc.gov/events/latest-events. Forthcoming, NTIA also intends to release another request for comment to address the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program and Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program.

Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund Implementation

The U.S. Department of the Treasury just adopted the final rule for the American Rescue Plan's (ARP) Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund. Treasury published an interim final rule (IFR) for the program in May 2021. The final rule takes effect April 1, 2022.

The final rule includes several improvements for childcare, early learning, and schools. Compared to the IFR, the final rule:

• Clarifies that recipients can use funds for capital expenditures that support an eligible COVID-19 public health or economic response, including to build childcare facilities and schools;

• Provides a broader set of uses as part of COVID-19 public health and economic response, including making affordable housing, childcare, early learning, and services to address learning loss during the pandemic eligible in all impacted communities; and,

• Broadens eligible broadband infrastructure investments to address challenges with broadband access, affordability, and reliability, and adds additional eligible water and sewer infrastructure investments, including a broader range of lead remediation and stormwater management projects.

Treasury's summary of the final rule provides additional information about eligible childcare and early learning uses, and is available here: home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/....

Webinar: States Leading in Micro-Credentials

The Hunt Institute is hosting a webinar that may be of interest tomorrow, January 11, at 2:00 pm Eastern. Attendees will hear from a group of states who are leading the way on establishing policies and practices related to micro-credentials for educators. Registration information is online: zoom.us/webinar/register/5816376846249/....