I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7948 

To include reasonable costs for high-speed internet service in the utility 

allowances for families residing in public housing, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 11, 2024 

Mr. FOSTER (for himself, Ms. NORTON, Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania, Mr. 

JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. MCGOVERN, and Mrs. 

BEATTY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services 

A BILL 

To include reasonable costs for high-speed internet service 

in the utility allowances for families residing in public 

housing, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Closing the Digital 

5 Divide for Students Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF HIGH-SPEED INTERNET SERVICE IN 

2 PUBLIC HOUSING UTILITY ALLOWANCES FOR 

3 CERTAIN FAMILIES. 

4 Subsection (b) of section 3 of the United States 

5 Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)) is amended 

6 by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 

7 ‘‘(14) UTILITY ALLOWANCE.—A utility allowance 

8 under this Act for public housing shall include costs for 

9 high-speed internet service, including the cost of renting 

10 or purchasing equipment necessary to access such service 

11 and a one-time installation fee, subject to the following 

12 limitations: 

13 ‘‘(A) COST.—The cost included in a utility al14 lowance for a public housing dwelling unit pursuant 

15 to this paragraph for monthly internet service shall 

16 not— 

17 ‘‘(i) exceed the lowest cost available in the 

18 area of such housing for such monthly high19 speed internet service; and 

20 ‘‘(ii) include any costs for cable or satellite 

21 television service or telephone service. 

22 ‘‘(B) FAMILY CHOICE.—Subparagraph (A) may 

23 not be construed to prohibit a household in public 

24 housing from subscribing to— 


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1 ‘‘(i) a high-speed internet service the cost 

2 of which exceeds the cost described in subpara3 graph (A)(i); or 

4 ‘‘(ii) any joint package for internet service 

5 together with cable or satellite television service 

6 or telephone service, or both. 

7 ‘‘(C) QUALIFIED FAMILIES.—Costs for high8 speed internet service may be included in a utility al9 lowance only for a household that incurs such costs 

10 and includes children who qualify for free and re11 duced price lunch pursuant to section 9 of the Rich12 ard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 

13 U.S.C. 1758). 

14 ‘‘(D) PROTECTION OF MINORS.—Costs for high15 speed internet service may be included in a utility al16 lowance for a household only if the internet service 

17 provider, upon initial provision of such service for a 

18 household, provides the household with a specific 

19 technology capable of blocking or filtering internet 

20 access to visual depictions described in section 

21 254(h)(5)(B)(i) of the Communications Act of 1934 

22 (47 U.S.C. 254(h)(5)(B)(i)) that provides a level of 

23 protection against access by minors to such depic24 tions through the internet that is at least as great 

25 as the level of protection provided by a technology 


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1 protection measure (as such term is defined in para2 graph (7) of such section 254(h)) that meets the re3 quirements for certification under such paragraph, 

4 as determined by the Secretary.’’. 

Æ 


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