Prioritizing Rural Broadband Affordability Act

This bill modifies the Rural Electrification Act to require the Secretary of Agriculture to consider broadband affordability when determining which rural households and service areas are unserved. The changes directly affect rural communities by ensuring that high costs are factored into eligibility assessments for federal broadband funding programs. Under the new provisions, officials must evaluate whether existing broadband services are affordable before designating an area as unserved. The amendments will take effect one year after the bill is enacted, allowing time for agencies to update their evaluation criteria.