Subject to subsection (c) and such terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe, the Secretary may make loans under this subchapter to entities eligible to borrow from the Rural Utilities Service, State or local governments, Indian tribes (as defined in section 5304 of title 25), or other public entities for facilities and equipment to expand or improve in rural areas—

(1) 911 access;

(2) integrated interoperable emergency communications, including multiuse networks that provide critical transportation-related information services in addition to emergency communications services;

(3) homeland security communications;

(4) transportation safety communications; or

(5) location technologies used outside an urbanized area.

Government-imposed fees related to emergency communications (including State or local 911 fees) may be considered to be security for a loan under this section.

The Secretary may make a loan under this section to an emergency communication equipment provider to expand or improve 911 access or other communications or technologies described in subsection (a) if the local government that has jurisdiction over the project is not allowed to acquire the debt resulting from the loan.

The Secretary shall use to make loans under this section any funds otherwise made available for telephone loans for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2023.

(May 20, 1936, ch. 432, title III, § 315, as added Pub. L. 107–171, title VI, § 6102, May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 415; amended Pub. L. 110–234, title VI, § 6107, May 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 1198; Pub. L. 110–246, § 4(a), title VI, § 6107, June 18, 2008, 122 Stat. 1664, 1959; Pub. L. 113–79, title VI, § 6103, Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 851; Pub. L. 115–334, title VI, § 6506, Dec. 20, 2018, 132 Stat. 4775.)