The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ReConnect rural broadband program would be made permanent and gain updated eligibility and buildout standards under a draft Senate version of the every-five-years rewrite of the Farm Bill (officially called the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026).
The full House of Representatives passed its version of the Farm Bill (H.R. 7567) in April, also making the program permanent but setting more limited eligibility levels and lower required broadband speeds.
The ReConnect Loan and Grant Program furnishes loans and grants to provide funds for the costs of construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment needed to provide broadband service to eligible rural areas. The program has been a consistent, reliable source of federal funding to help close the digital divide in rural America.
The draft Farm Bill proposed by Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-Ark.) calls for codifying (putting permanently into law) the ReConnect Program, which has functioned since its start as a pilot program. The bill also would authorize (allow) up to $100 million per year for ReConnect through 2031. Current House appropriations (actual spending) for ReConnect would be set at $40 million for fiscal 2027 under pending legislation.
Another key section of the Senate draft calls for targeting ReConnect projects to 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.
Meanwhile, the House Farm Bill calls for far lower speeds of only 50/25 Mbps and targets eligibility to areas lacking access to 25/3 Mbps.
The Senate Agriculture Committee plans to finalize its bill after the July 4 congressional break. Once approved by the full Senate, the bill would be reconciled in a conference committee, where differences with the House bill would be hammered out. After the House and Senate finally pass identical versions, the bill would go to the President for his signature.
“We can all agree that we must take steps to help America’s farm families, and one of the most important ways we demonstrate that commitment is by passing a bipartisan farm bill,” Boozman said.
“Congress delivered historic improvements to farm programs through the Working Families Tax Cuts, and we’re continuing to expand upon that success with bipartisan priorities that strengthen the American farm economy, increase investments for rural communities and foster a more resilient agricultural sector.”