I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8556 

To amend section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure that 

certain telecommunications assistance available to assist school buses 

is preserved consistent with the Declaratory Ruling in the matter of 

Modernizing the E-Rate Program for Schools and Libraries adopted 

by the Federal Communications Commission on October 19, 2023 (FCC 

23–84; WC Docket No. 13–184), and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 23, 2024 

Mr. SCHIFF (for himself, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. SA ́NCHEZ, Mr. 

ROBERT GARCIA of California, Mr. MCGOVERN, and Ms. STANSBURY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To amend section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 

to ensure that certain telecommunications assistance 

available to assist school buses is preserved consistent 

with the Declaratory Ruling in the matter of Modernizing the E-Rate Program for Schools and Libraries 

adopted by the Federal Communications Commission on 

October 19, 2023 (FCC 23–84; WC Docket No. 13– 

184), 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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Clarifying E–Rate Act 

3 of 2024’’. 

4 SEC. 2. TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES FOR CERTAIN 

5 PROVIDERS. 

6 (a) SCHOOL BUSES AND OTHER LOCATIONS WHERE

7 LEARNING OCCURS.—Section 254 of the Communications 

8 Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) is amended— 

9 (1) in subsection (b)(6), by striking ‘‘and class10 rooms’’ and inserting ‘‘(including classrooms associ11 ated with such schools, buses associated with such 

12 schools (if owned, leased, or contracted by a school 

13 and used primarily to transport students to and 

14 from such school or activities related to such school), 

15 and other locations where learning occurs as deter16 mined appropriate by the Commission)’’; 

17 (2) in subsection (h)(1)(B), by inserting ‘‘(in18 cluding, with respect to schools, to classrooms asso19 ciated with such schools, buses associated with such 

20 schools (if owned, leased, or contracted by a school 

21 and used primarily to transport students to and 

22 from such school or activities related to such school), 

23 and other locations where learning occurs as deter24 mined appropriate by the Commission)’’ after ‘‘edu25 cational purposes’’; and 


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1 (3) in subsection (h)(2)(A), by striking ‘‘school 

2 classrooms’’ and inserting ‘‘schools (including class3 rooms associated with such schools, buses associated 

4 with such schools (if owned, leased, or contracted by 

5 a school and used primarily to transport students to 

6 and from such school or activities related to such 

7 school), and other locations where learning occurs as 

8 determined appropriate by the Commission)’’. 

9 (b) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by sub10 section (a) shall apply to amounts made available for fund11 ing year 2025 and each funding year thereafter. 

12 (c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—The amendments 

13 made by subsection (a) may not be construed to affect 

14 the authority of the Federal Communications Commission 

15 with respect to the Declaratory Ruling in the matter of 

16 Modernizing the E–Rate Program for Schools and Librar17 ies adopted by the Commission on October 19, 2023 (FCC 

18 23–84; WC Docket No. 13–184). 

19 (d) DETERMINATIONS.—Not later than 1 year after 

20 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Commu21 nications Commission shall promulgate a notice of pro22 posed rulemaking to— 

23 (1) specify, if any, additional locations where 

24 learning occurs that the Commission determines ap25 propriate for purposes of subsections (b)(6), 


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1 (h)(1)(B), and (h)(2)(A) of section 254 of the Com2 munications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254), as 

3 amended by this Act; and 

4 (2) establish an annual assessment process for 

5 determining if further modifications are necessary 

6 with respect to such additional locations. 

Æ 


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