Denver — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined U.S. Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) in reintroducing the Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act (BGTTA) — legislation that would amend the Internal Revenue Code to ensure that funding for broadband deployment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) will not be considered taxable income. This legislation was first introduced last Congress in both the Senate and the House of Representatives with bipartisan support.
“Coloradans rely on affordable, high-speed internet to stay in touch with family, discuss health concerns with their doctors, and enjoy the economic opportunities presented by the digital era,” said Bennet. “This bipartisan legislation will update our tax code to ensure that grants to connect our communities—including a program based on my BRIDGE Act that makes the single largest broadband investment in American history—are spent bridging the digital divide and building infrastructure for the 21st century.”
Bennet has long advocated for expanded access to affordable, high-speed internet. In June 2021, he introduced the bipartisan Broadband Reform and Investment to Drive Growth in the Economy (BRIDGE) Act to provide flexible broadband funding to states and Tribal governments. The BRIDGE Act was later incorporated into the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is now making the largest investment in U.S. history to deploy affordable, high-speed Internet across Colorado and the country.
In addition to Bennet, Warner, and Moran, this bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Rev. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Angus King (I-Maine), James Risch (R-Idaho), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.).
The text of the bill is available HERE.