Senate Passes Fischer Broadband Map Oversight Bill

WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto's (D-NV) bill, the Modernization, Accountability, and Planning (MAP) for Broadband Funding Act , to make sure the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Broadband Funding Map is working effectively for the public, government agencies, and broadband providers.

"I've spent years working to connect Nebraskans, and Americans across the country, with reliable internet access. The Broadband Funding Map is essential to that goal," Fischer said. "This bill will help us make the most of broadband buildout while safeguarding taxpayer dollars. I'm committed to delivering this bill to the president's desk."

"It is past time every American had access to fast, reliable internet," Cortez Masto said. "As funding continues to go out the door to connect our communities, this bipartisan, commonsense bill will help ensure that all federal agencies are working together to close the digital divide as quickly and efficiently as possible."

Download video of Fischer's remarks here

Download audio of Fischer's remarks here

Fischer's remarks as prepared :

Mr. President,

I rise today to discuss an issue near and dear to the state of Nebraska and rural America. That is the issue of closing the digital divide for unserved and underserved communities.

My husband Bruce and I raised our family on a cattle ranch near Valentine, Nebraska. So, I know what it means to live in a community where reliable internet is a luxury, not a given.

And I know the opportunities rural America is missing as a result, from education and telehealth to entrepreneurship and precision agriculture.

Over the past decade, Congress has provided tens of billions of dollars for hundreds of programs administered by more than a dozen federal agencies.

The centerpiece of that investment was the BEAD Program, a more than $40 billion broadband deployment initiative included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and enacted into law nearly five years ago.

As part of that legislation, I worked in a bipartisan fashion with Senator Cortez Masto to create the Broadband Funding Map, an FCC tool that provides a public overview of broadband infrastructure deployment projects funded with federal dollars.

But now, we must ask: are those dollars making a difference for the families, businesses, and communities, who need them most?

The American people, federal agencies, and broadband providers deserve clarity so they can make informed decisions about where additional investment is needed. This will also help avoid duplicative federal spending.

Since then, we have identified a need for fresh oversight of the FCC's management of this tool.

That is why Senator Cortez Masto and I introduced the MAP for Broadband Funding Act. At its core, this bill is about accountability. It will strengthen oversight of the Federal Communications Commission and direct it to review how usable and accurate that map really is for the public and providers.

It also tasks the Government Accountability Office with ensuring federal agencies are reporting information correctly. If the map is flawed, then the billions of dollars tied to it risk missing the mark.

Mr. President, I am proud that this bipartisan bill cleared the Senate Commerce Committee unanimously in February. Now, it is time for the full Senate to pass it too. Americans will be better connected and better served because of it.

Background :

Fischer originally created the Broadband Funding Map as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. With oversight needed to guarantee federal agencies are utilizing the map to its full potential, the MAP for Broadband Funding Act will help to ensure agencies reliably report their funding data to the FCC in a complete and timely manner.

Fischer and Cortez Masto introduced this bill on July 31, 2025.

The legislation passed the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation-of which Fischer chairs the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Media-on February 12, 2026.

###