The Rural Broadband Improvement Act (H.R. 2035), introduced by Sen. Pat Roberts [R-Kan.], would modify the RUS broadband loans program by narrowing the definition of "eligible rural community," thereby excluding suburban and near-urban areas from receiving the funding.

The bill defines an "eligible rural community" as 1) not more than 15,000 inhabitants, 2) outside the boundaries of an urbanized area or urban cluster, and 3) not within 10 miles of any such city, town, village, or borough, or any urbanized area of urban cluster. The bill also further restricts eligibility to communities that are currently under-served in broadband availability, limiting the amount of loans a community with at least 50% already served to the portion of households that remain unserved. The bill thus limits the number of eligible communities, creating a bigger pot of money for truly rural and under-served borrowers.