Last week, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 7567 — the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 — a bipartisan bill that reauthorizes several key U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rural broadband programs and sets the table for future funding decisions.
Supporters described the bill as a win for rural communities. For the rural broadband industry in particular, the farm bill is notable for authorizing these programs — though the appropriations that will determine actual funding levels still must clear the Senate.
While the farm bill authorizes these broadband programs, it does not appropriate money for them. The House Appropriations Committee has recently approved funding for various broadband programs, which still need to pass the full House and then move through the Senate before becoming law.
Should the farm bill and its appropriated funds become law, the following broadband programs will be funded:
- Rural broadband loans: $350 million at cost of money, plus $200 million through the Federal Financing Bank
- Distance learning and telemedicine: $33.2 million
- ReConnect program: $40 million
- Community Connect: $15 million
The farm bill modernizes rural development programs and codifies key initiatives that rural broadband advocates have long sought to see formalized in statute. Among the most significant of those is the ReConnect program, which provides grants, loans, and grant/loan combinations to support broadband deployment in underserved rural areas.
Reaction from the rural broadband industry was swift. Mike Romano, CEO of NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, welcomed the development.
“NTCA and its members welcome House passage of the Farm Bill today,” Romano said in a statement. “The legislation authorizes several critical USDA telecommunications programs, including the ReConnect Program, that have played a pivotal role in helping community-based providers connect rural residents. We look forward to working with Congress and USDA to ensure these programs remain strong and effective so rural Americans do not fall behind in the levels of connectivity they can receive.”
ReConnect has been included in previous farm bills, but until now, it was not an authorized program — meaning Congress had to vote on its funding annually. A Senate bill introduced last fall would give the program a more stable legislative foundation, but the bill has not advanced beyond the introduction phase.
