II 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4529 

To improve access by Indian Tribes to support from the Schools and Libraries 

Universal Service Support program (E-rate) of the Federal Communications Commission, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 13, 2020 

Mr. HEINRICH introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Indian Affairs 

A BILL 

To improve access by Indian Tribes to support from the 

Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support program 

(E-rate) of the Federal Communications Commission, 

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 ‘‘Tribal Connect Act 

5 of 2020’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY OF TRIBAL LIBRARIES AND QUALI2 FYING ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY-SERVING IN3 STITUTIONS FOR E-RATE SUPPORT. 

4 Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 

5 U.S.C. 254) is amended— 

6 (1) in subsection (h)(4), by inserting ‘‘, except 

7 as provided in subsection (m),’’ before ‘‘is a library 

8 or library consortium’’; and 

9 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(m) ELIGIBILITY OF TRIBAL LIBRARIES AND

11 QUALIFYING ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY-SERVING INSTITU12 TIONS FOR E-RATE SUPPORT.— 

13 ‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection— 

14 ‘‘(A) the term ‘broadband internet access 

15 service’ has the meaning given the term in sec16 tion 8.1(b) of title 47, Code of Federal Regula17 tions, or any successor regulation; 

18 ‘‘(B) the term ‘E-rate program’ means the 

19 universal service program for schools and li20 braries authorized under subsection (h)(1)(B), 

21 the rules of which are set forth under subpart 

22 F of part 54 of title 47, Code of Federal Regu23 lations (or any successor regulation), as author24 ized under subsection (h)(2)(A); 

25 ‘‘(C) the term ‘E-rate support’ means uni26 versal service discounts on eligible services in 


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1 accordance with subpart F of part 54 of title 

2 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any suc3 cessor regulation), as authorized under sub4 section (h)(2)(A); 

5 ‘‘(D) the term ‘Indian Tribe’ has the 

6 meaning given the term ‘Indian tribe’ in section 

7 20.100 of title 25, Code of Federal Regulations, 

8 or any successor regulation; 

9 ‘‘(E) the term ‘qualifying essential commu10 nity-serving institution’ means a facility exclu11 sively owned by an Indian Tribe, including a 

12 tribal government building, chapter house, 

13 longhouse, community center, senior center, or 

14 other similar public building; and 

15 ‘‘(F) the term ‘Tribal College or Univer16 sity’ has the meaning given the term in section 

17 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

18 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)). 

19 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBILITY OF TRIBAL LIBRARIES FOR E20 RATE SUPPORT.— 

21 ‘‘(A) DESIGNATION OF TRIBAL LIBRARIES

22 AS LIBRARIES ELIGIBLE FOR E-RATE SUP23 PORT.— 

24 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—An Indian Tribe 

25 that is eligible for support under section 


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1 261 of the Library Services and Tech2 nology Act (20 U.S.C. 9161) may des3 ignate a tribal library or tribal library con4 sortium, including a public-serving library 

5 of a Tribal College or University, as a li6 brary or consortium that is eligible for E7 rate support, without regard to whether 

8 the library or library consortium is eligible 

9 for assistance from a State Library Ad10 ministrative Agency under the Library 

11 Services and Technology Act (20 U.S.C. 

12 9121 et seq.), if the library or library con13 sortium is eligible for support from an In14 dian Tribe under such section 261. 

15 ‘‘(ii) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.— 

16 Nothing in clause (i) shall be construed to 

17 exempt a tribal library from any require18 ment under the E-rate program not de19 scribed in that clause, including the other 

20 requirements relating to eligible recipients 

21 under section 54.501 of title 47, Code of 

22 Federal Regulations (or any successor reg23 ulation). 


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1 ‘‘(B) TRIBAL ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY2 SERVING INSTITUTION DEMONSTRATION PRO3 GRAM.— 

4 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Commission, 

5 in consultation with the Institute of Mu6 seum and Library Services and any other 

7 agency with relevant responsibilities, shall 

8 establish a pilot program to be known as 

9 the ‘Tribal Essential Community-Serving 

10 Institution Program’, under which the 

11 Commission shall provide E-rate support 

12 to Indian Tribes for qualifying essential 

13 community-serving institutions, as des14 ignated by an Indian Tribe. 

15 ‘‘(ii) ELIGIBILITY.—E-rate support 

16 obtained under this subparagraph shall 

17 only be available to an Indian Tribe if the 

18 proposed qualifying essential community19 serving institution intends to deliver pub20 licly available internet access and tele21 communications services to students, 

22 teachers, librarians, and members of the 

23 community. 

24 ‘‘(iii) ELIGIBILITY FOR E-RATE AFTER

25 THE DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.—A qualiVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:17 Aug 27, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4529.IS S4529

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1 fying essential community-serving institu2 tion that receives E-rate support under 

3 this subparagraph shall be eligible for E4 rate support at the end of the 3-year pe5 riod described in subparagraph (C). 

6 ‘‘(C) USE OF CONTRIBUTIONS.—Of the 

7 amount collected for the Universal Service 

8 Fund under subsection (d), $100,000,000 shall 

9 be made available for the 3-fiscal-year period 

10 beginning after the date of enactment of the 

11 Tribal Connect Act of 2020 to the Commission 

12 to carry out this paragraph. 

13 ‘‘(3) TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

14 FOR TRIBAL SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES.— 

15 ‘‘(A) ANNUAL REPORTS.—The Commission 

16 shall— 

17 ‘‘(i) direct the Administrator of the 

18 Schools and Libraries Universal Service 

19 Support program to submit an annual re20 port to the Commission regarding the ac21 tions of the Schools and Libraries Uni22 versal Service Support program to ensure 

23 that tribal schools and libraries can par24 ticipate fully and effectively in the E-rate 

25 program, including— 


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1 ‘‘(I) outreach efforts targeted to 

2 tribal schools and libraries to promote 

3 awareness of the E-rate program; 

4 ‘‘(II) specific E-rate training pro5 grams for tribal schools and libraries; 

6 and 

7 ‘‘(III) other technical assistance 

8 initiatives regarding the program’s ap9 plication process that are available to 

10 tribal schools and libraries; and 

11 ‘‘(ii) submit each annual report de12 scribed in clause (i) to— 

13 ‘‘(I) the Committee on Com14 merce, Science, and Transportation of 

15 the Senate; 

16 ‘‘(II) the Committee on Indian 

17 Affairs of the Senate; 

18 ‘‘(III) the Committee on Energy 

19 and Commerce of the House of Rep20 resentatives; and 

21 ‘‘(IV) the Committee on Natural 

22 Resources of the House of Represent23 atives. 

24 ‘‘(B) REVIEW OF ANNUAL REPORTS.—The 

25 Commission shall review each annual report reVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:17 Aug 27, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4529.IS S4529

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1 quired under subparagraph (A) to determine 

2 whether additional steps are necessary to en3 sure that tribal schools and libraries can par4 ticipate fully and effectively in the E-rate pro5 gram. 

6 ‘‘(C) UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND TECH7 NICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING.—The Com8 mission, in consultation with the Institute of 

9 Museum and Library Services, shall provide 

10 technical assistance and training to Indian 

11 Tribes with respect to Universal Service Fund 

12 programs. 

13 ‘‘(4) COORDINATION AND PERFORMANCE MEAS14 UREMENT.—The Commission shall— 

15 ‘‘(A) improve the reliability of the data of 

16 the Commission relating to institutions that re17 ceive E-rate support by defining the term ‘trib18 al’ on the application for E-rate support; and 

19 ‘‘(B)(i) develop performance goals and 

20 measures to track progress on achieving the 

21 strategic objective of the Commission of ensur22 ing that all Indian Tribes have affordable ac23 cess to broadband internet access service for 

24 educational purposes for students, teachers, li25 brarians, and members of the community; 


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1 ‘‘(ii) in coordination with the Institute of 

2 Museum and Library Services, identify all tribal 

3 libraries and developing tribal libraries in the 

4 United States; and 

5 ‘‘(iii) not later than 1 year after the date 

6 of enactment of this subsection, submit to Con7 gress and make public a report on the goals 

8 and measures developed under clause (i) and 

9 the list of libraries identified under clause (ii).’’. 

Æ 


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