AIPI Policy Brief: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act – Broadband Analysis

On Tuesday, August 10, 2021, the Senate passed H.R. 3684. This historic legislation includes an extraordinary investment in Indian Country infrastructure and is the latest in a series of momentous legislation affecting Native communities. The CARES Act, Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021, and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provided significant investments into Indian Country to address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. H.R. 3684 continues in such a direction by maintaining focus on existing adversities that circumstances brought on by the pandemic has magnified. However, H.R. 3684 expands its focus by turning attention to more long-standing challenges pertaining to highways, transportation, water, energy, and internet connectivity. In addition, it includes in its focus consideration of some of the unique interactions between infrastructure and Indian Country. For a full analysis, see here. In this document, AIPI provides a deep dive and analysis of Tribal specific broadband components of the bill.