II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4422 

To establish the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives within the National 

Telecommunications and Information Administration, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 4, 2020 

Mr. WICKER (for himself and Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina) introduced the 

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 

Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To establish the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives 

within the National Telecommunications and Information 

Administration, 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 ‘‘Connecting Minority 

5 Communities Act of 2020’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act— 

8 (1) the term ‘‘anchor community’’ means any 

9 area that— 


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1 (A) is not more than 30 miles from a his2 torically Black college or university, a Tribal 

3 College or University, or a Hispanic-serving in4 stitution; and 

5 (B) has an estimated median annual 

6 household income of not more than 250 percent 

7 of the poverty line, as that term is defined in 

8 section 673(2) of the Community Services 

9 Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)); 

10 (2) the term ‘‘Assistant Secretary’’ means the 

11 Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communica12 tions and Information; 

13 (3) the term ‘‘broadband internet access serv14 ice’’ has the meaning given the term in section 

15 8.1(b) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or 

16 any successor regulation; 

17 (4) the term ‘‘Commission’’ means the Federal 

18 Communications Commission; 

19 (5) the term ‘‘connected device’’ means a laptop 

20 computer, tablet computer, or similar device that is 

21 capable of connecting to broadband internet access 

22 service; 

23 (6) the term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director of 

24 the Office; 

25 (7) the term ‘‘eligible equipment’’ means— 


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1 (A) a Wi-Fi hotspot; 

2 (B) a modem; 

3 (C) a router; 

4 (D) a device that combines a modem and 

5 router; 

6 (E) a connected device; or 

7 (F) any other equipment used to provide 

8 access to broadband internet access service; 

9 (8) the term ‘‘eligible recipient’’ means— 

10 (A) a historically Black college or univer11 sity; 

12 (B) a Tribal College or University; 

13 (C) a Hispanic-serving institution; or 

14 (D) a consortium led by a historically 

15 Black college or university, a Tribal College or 

16 University, or a Hispanic-serving institution 

17 that also includes— 

18 (i) an elementary or secondary school; 

19 (ii) a library; 

20 (iii) a minority business enterprise; or 

21 (iv) an organization described in sec22 tion 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue 

23 Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under 

24 section 501(a) of such Code; 


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1 (9) the term ‘‘Hispanic-serving institution’’ has 

2 the meaning given the term in section 502(a) of the 

3 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

4 1101a(a)); 

5 (10) the term ‘‘historically Black college or uni6 versity’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘part B in7 stitution’’ in section 322 of the Higher Education 

8 Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061); 

9 (11) the term ‘‘minority business enterprise’’ 

10 has the meaning given the term in section 1400.2 of 

11 title 15, Code of Federal Regulations, or any suc12 cessor regulation; 

13 (12) the term ‘‘Office’’ means the Office of Mi14 nority Broadband Initiatives established pursuant to 

15 section 3(a); 

16 (13) the term ‘‘Pilot Program’’ means the Con17 necting Minority Communities Pilot Program estab18 lished under the rules promulgated by the Assistant 

19 Secretary under section 5(a); 

20 (14) the term ‘‘Task Force’’ means the Con21 necting Minority Communities Task Force estab22 lished under section 4(a); and 

23 (15) the term ‘‘Tribal College or University’’ 

24 has the meaning given the term in section 316(b) of 


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1 the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

2 1059c(b)). 

3 SEC. 3. OFFICE OF MINORITY BROADBAND INITIATIVES. 

4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days after 

5 the date of enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary 

6 shall establish within the National Telecommunications 

7 and Information Administration the Office of Minority 

8 Broadband Initiatives. 

9 (b) DIRECTOR.—The Office shall be headed by the 

10 Director of the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives, 

11 who shall be appointed by the Assistant Secretary. 

12 (c) DUTIES.—The Office, acting through the Direc13 tor, shall— 

14 (1) collaborate with Federal agencies that carry 

15 out broadband internet access service support pro16 grams to determine how to expand access to 

17 broadband internet access service and other digital 

18 opportunities in anchor communities; 

19 (2) collaborate with State, local, and Tribal 

20 governments, historically Black colleges or univer21 sities, Tribal Colleges or Universities, Hispanic-serv22 ing institutions, and stakeholders in the tele23 communications, education, business, and technology 

24 fields to— 

25 (A) promote— 


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1 (i) initiatives relating to broadband 

2 internet access service connectivity for an3 chor communities; and 

4 (ii) digital opportunities for anchor 

5 communities; 

6 (B) develop recommendations to promote 

7 the rapid, expanded deployment of broadband 

8 internet access service to unserved historically 

9 Black colleges or universities, Tribal Colleges or 

10 Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, and 

11 anchor communities, including to senior citizens 

12 and veterans who live in anchor communities; 

13 (C) promote activities that would accel14 erate the adoption of broadband internet access 

15 service (including any associated equipment or 

16 personnel necessary to access and use that serv17 ice, such as modems, routers, devices that com18 bine a modem and a router, Wi-Fi hotspots, 

19 and connected devices)— 

20 (i) by historically Black colleges or 

21 universities, Tribal Colleges or Univer22 sities, and Hispanic-serving institutions; 

23 and 

24 (ii) within anchor communities; 


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1 (D) upon request, provide assistance to 

2 historically Black colleges or universities, Tribal 

3 Colleges or Universities, Hispanic-serving insti4 tutions, and leaders from anchor communities 

5 with respect to navigating Federal programs 

6 dealing with broadband internet access service; 

7 (E) promote digital literacy skills, includ8 ing by providing opportunities for virtual or in9 person digital literacy training and education; 

10 and 

11 (F) explore how to leverage investment in 

12 infrastructure with respect to broadband inter13 net access service to— 

14 (i) expand connectivity with respect to 

15 that service in anchor communities; 

16 (ii) encourage investment in commu17 nities that have been designated as quali18 fied opportunity zones under section 

19 1400Z–1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 

20 1986; and 

21 (iii) serve as a catalyst for adoption of 

22 that service, so as to promote job growth 

23 and economic development and deployment 

24 of advanced mobile technologies; 


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1 (3) assume any functions carried out under the 

2 Minority Broadband Initiative of the National Tele3 communications and Information Administration, as 

4 of the day before the date of enactment of this Act; 

5 and 

6 (4) perform other duties, as designated by the 

7 Assistant Secretary. 

8 (d) REPORTS.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 

10 the date on which the Assistant Secretary estab11 lishes the Office under subsection (a), and annually 

12 thereafter, the Assistant Secretary shall submit to 

13 the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans14 portation of the Senate and the Committee on En15 ergy and Commerce of the House of Representatives 

16 a report that— 

17 (A) for the year covered by the report, de18 tails the work of the Office in expanding access 

19 to fixed and mobile broadband internet access 

20 service coverage— 

21 (i) at historically Black colleges or 

22 universities, Tribal Colleges or Univer23 sities, and Hispanic-serving institutions; 

24 and 

25 (ii) within anchor communities; and 


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1 (B) identifies barriers to providing 

2 broadband internet access service— 

3 (i) at historically Black colleges or 

4 universities, Tribal Colleges or Univer5 sities, and Hispanic-serving institutions; 

6 and 

7 (ii) within anchor communities. 

8 (2) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—Not later than 30 

9 days after the date on which the Assistant Secretary 

10 submits a report under paragraph (1), the Assistant 

11 Secretary shall, to the extent feasible, make that re12 port publicly available. 

13 SEC. 4. TASK FORCE. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary shall es15 tablish the Connecting Minority Communities Task Force 

16 to advise the Office on matters relating to expanding 

17 broadband internet access service to historically Black col18 leges or universities, Tribal Colleges or Universities, His19 panic-serving institutions, and anchor communities. 

20 (b) MEMBERSHIP.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Task Force shall— 

22 (A) be composed of not more than 15 vot23 ing members— 


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1 (i) who, subject to subparagraph (B), 

2 shall be selected by the Assistant Sec3 retary; and 

4 (ii) 1 of whom shall be designated by 

5 the Assistant Secretary as the Chair of the 

6 Task Force; and 

7 (B) include representatives (who shall be 

8 fairly balanced with respect to technologies, 

9 points of view, and fields represented) from— 

10 (i) historically Black colleges or uni11 versities; 

12 (ii) Tribal Colleges or Universities; 

13 (iii) Hispanic-serving institutions; 

14 (iv) anchor communities; 

15 (v) minority business enterprises; 

16 (vi) internet service providers, includ17 ing regional or rural fixed and mobile 

18 broadband internet access service providers 

19 and telecommunications infrastructure pro20 viders; 

21 (vii) the electric cooperative industry; 

22 (viii) the satellite industry; 

23 (ix) State and local governments; and 

24 (x) civil rights organizations. 

25 (2) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT; VACANCIES.— 


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1 (A) IN GENERAL.—Each member of the 

2 Task Force shall serve for a single term of 2 

3 years. 

4 (B) VACANCY.—Any vacancy in the Task 

5 Force— 

6 (i) shall not affect the powers of the 

7 Task Force; and 

8 (ii) shall be filled in the same manner 

9 as the original appointment. 

10 (C) EX-OFFICIO MEMBER.—The Chairman 

11 of the Commission, or a designee of the Chair12 man, shall serve as an ex-officio, nonvoting 

13 member of the Task Force. 

14 (c) APPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COM15 MITTEE ACT.—The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 

16 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply with respect to the Task 

17 Force or the activities of the Task Force. 

18 SEC. 5. CONNECTING MINORITY COMMUNITIES PILOT PRO19 GRAM. 

20 (a) RULES REQUIRED.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

22 after the date of enactment of this Act, the Assist23 ant Secretary shall promulgate rules establishing the 

24 Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program, 

25 the purpose of which shall be to provide grants to 


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1 eligible recipients in anchor communities for the pur2 chase of broadband internet access service or any el3 igible equipment, or to hire information technology 

4 personnel— 

5 (A) to facilitate educational instruction 

6 and learning, including through remote instruc7 tion; 

8 (B) in the case of an eligible recipient de9 scribed in section 2(8)(D)(iii), to operate the 

10 minority business enterprise; or 

11 (C) in the case of an eligible recipient de12 scribed in section 2(8)(D)(iv), to operate the or13 ganization. 

14 (2) CONTENT.—The rules promulgated under 

15 paragraph (1) shall— 

16 (A) establish a method for identifying 

17 which eligible recipients in anchor communities 

18 have the greatest unmet financial needs; 

19 (B) ensure that grants under the Pilot 

20 Program are made— 

21 (i) to eligible recipients identified 

22 under the method established under sub23 paragraph (A); and 

24 (ii) in a manner that best achieves the 

25 purposes of the Pilot Program; 


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1 (C) provide that a recipient of a grant 

2 under the Pilot Program— 

3 (i) shall use eligible equipment for a 

4 purpose that the recipient considers to be 

5 appropriate, subject to any restriction pro6 vided in those rules (or any successor 

7 rules); 

8 (ii) if the recipient lends, or otherwise 

9 provides, eligible equipment to students or 

10 patrons, shall prioritize lending or pro11 viding to such individuals that the recipi12 ent believes do not have access to that 

13 equipment, subject to any restriction pro14 vided in those rules (or any successor 

15 rules); and 

16 (iii) may not sell or otherwise transfer 

17 eligible equipment in exchange for any 

18 thing (including a service) of value; and 

19 (D) include audit requirements that— 

20 (i) ensure that a recipient of a grant 

21 made under the Pilot Program uses grant 

22 funds in compliance with the requirements 

23 of this section and the overall purpose of 

24 the Pilot Program; and 


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1 (ii) prevent waste, fraud, and abuse in 

2 the operation of the Pilot Program. 

3 (b) FUND.— 

4 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in 

5 the Treasury of the United States a fund to be 

6 known as the Connecting Minority Communities 

7 Fund. 

8 (2) USE OF FUND.—Amounts in the Con9 necting Minority Communities Fund established 

10 under paragraph (1) shall be available to the Assist11 ant Secretary to provide support under the rules 

12 promulgated under subsection (a). 

13 (c) INTERAGENCY COORDINATION.—When making 

14 grants under the Pilot Program, the Assistant Secretary 

15 shall coordinate with other Federal agencies, including the 

16 Commission and the Department of Education. 

17 (d) AUDITS.— 

18 (1) IN GENERAL.—For each of fiscal years 

19 2021 and 2022, the Inspector General of the De20 partment of Commerce shall conduct an audit of the 

21 Pilot Program according to the requirements estab22 lished under subsection (a)(2)(D). 

23 (2) REPORT.—After completing each audit con24 ducted under paragraph (1), the Inspector General 

25 of the Department of Commerce shall submit to the 


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1 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor2 tation of the Senate and the Committee on Energy 

3 and Commerce of the House of Representatives a re4 port that details the findings of the audit. 

5 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

6 authorized to be appropriated to the Connecting Minority 

7 Communities Fund established under subsection (b) 

8 $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2020, which shall remain 

9 available until expended. 

10 (f) TERMINATION.—The Pilot Program, including all 

11 reporting requirements under this section (except for the 

12 report required under subsection (g)), shall terminate on 

13 the date on which the amounts made available to carry 

14 out the Pilot Program are fully expended. 

15 (g) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 

16 on which the Pilot Program terminates under subsection 

17 (f), the Assistant Secretary, after consulting with the Task 

18 Force and eligible recipients that received grants under 

19 the Pilot Program, shall submit to the Committee on Com20 merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the 

21 Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 

22 Representatives a report that— 

23 (1) describes the manner in which the Pilot 

24 Program was carried out; 


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1 (2) identifies each eligible recipient that re2 ceived a grant under the Pilot Program; and 

3 (3) contains— 

4 (A) information regarding the effectiveness 

5 of the Pilot Program; 

6 (B) recommendations regarding how the 

7 capacity of the Pilot Program could be ex8 panded, including an expansion to include as in9 stitutions that are eligible to receive grants 

10 under the Pilot Program— 

11 (i) Alaska Native-serving institutions 

12 and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, 

13 as those terms are defined in section 

14 317(b) of the Higher Education Act of 

15 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059d(b)); and 

16 (ii) Asian American and Native Amer17 ican Pacific Islander-serving institutions, 

18 as that term is defined in section 320(b) of 

19 the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 

20 U.S.C. 1059g(b)); and 

21 (C) an estimate of the cost of funding the 

22 expansion described in subparagraph (B). 

Æ 


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