Congress Boosts Rural Distance Learning, Telemedicine, Broadband Program

The 2004 budget for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as passed by the House of Representatives mid-July, includes $678 million for the Distance Learning, Telemedicine and Broadband program (DLT). Through loans, grants and loan and grant combinations, DLT provides the facilities and equipment to link rural education and medical facilities with more urban centers and other facilities. The goal is to provide rural residents access to better health care through technology and increase educational opportunities for rural students.

The 2004 appropriation is $241 million more than the DLT received last year and $264 million more than the agency requested in the Administration's 2004 budget. The House budget greatly shifts the emphasis of the program toward loans, cutting the funding available for grants by nearly 42 percent while increasing the pool of funds available for loans by 67 percent. In all, the House approved $25 million for Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants, $636 million for Distance Learning and Telemedicine loans, $9.116 million for Broadband Telecommunications loan subsidy and $8 million for Broadband Grants.

Not to be outdone, the Senate Appropriations Committee has recommended FY 2004 funding levels of nearly $686 million for DLT, including $40 million for distance learning and telemedicine grants and $10 million for broadband grants.

More information on DLT is available at: http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/dlt/dlt.htm

Readers can follow the USDA FY 2004 appropriations bill through Congress at: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/approp/app04.html