II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 3024 

To direct the Federal Communications Commission to establish a program 

to make grants available to States to inform Medicaid enrollees, SNAP 

participants, and low-income residents of potential eligibility for the Affordable Connectivity and Lifeline programs of the Commission, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 4, 2023 

Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. WELCH, Mr. 

PADILLA, Ms. DUCKWORTH, and Ms. KLOBUCHAR) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To direct the Federal Communications Commission to establish a program to make grants available to States to 

inform Medicaid enrollees, SNAP participants, and lowincome residents of potential eligibility for the Affordable 

Connectivity and Lifeline programs of the 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 ‘‘Promoting Access to 

5 Broadband Act of 2023’’. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•S 3024 IS

1 SEC. 2. AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY AND LIFELINE EN2 ROLLMENT OUTREACH GRANTS. 

3 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

4 (1) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 

5 means the Federal Communications Commission. 

6 (2) COVERED INDIVIDUALS.—The term ‘‘cov7 ered individuals’’ means— 

8 (A) Medicaid enrollees; 

9 (B) SNAP participants; and 

10 (C) low-income residents. 

11 (3) COVERED PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘covered 

12 program’’ means— 

13 (A) the Affordable Connectivity Program 

14 established under section 904(b) of division N 

15 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 

16 (47 U.S.C. 1752(b)), or any successor program; 

17 and 

18 (B) the Lifeline program established under 

19 subpart E of part 54 of title 47, Code of Fed20 eral Regulations, or any successor regulation. 

21 (4) ELIGIBLE-BUT-NOT-ENROLLED.—The term 

22 ‘‘eligible-but-not-enrolled’’ means, with respect to an 

23 individual, that the individual is eligible for, but is 

24 not enrolled in, a covered program. 

25 (5) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 

26 has the meaning given the term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ in 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•S 3024 IS

1 section 4 of the Native American Housing Assist2 ance and Self-Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 

3 4103). 

4 (6) LOW-INCOME.—The term ‘‘low-income’’ 

5 means a gross annual income that qualifies a house6 hold for participation in a covered program. 

7 (7) MEDICAID ENROLLEE.—The term ‘‘Med8 icaid enrollee’’ means, with respect to a State, an in9 dividual enrolled in the State plan under title XIX 

10 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) 

11 or a waiver of that plan. 

12 (8) REACH.—The term ‘‘reach’’ means, with re13 spect to an individual, to inform the individual of po14 tential eligibility for a covered program and to pro15 vide the individual with information about the cov16 ered program, as described in subsection (e). 

17 (9) SNAP PARTICIPANT.—The term ‘‘SNAP 

18 participant’’ means an individual who is a member 

19 of a household that participates in the supplemental 

20 nutrition assistance program under the Food and 

21 Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.). 

22 (10) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each 

23 State of the United States, the District of Columbia, 

24 each commonwealth, territory, or possession of the 

25 United States, and each Indian Tribe. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•S 3024 IS

1 (b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Commission shall estab2 lish a competitive program to make grants available to 

3 States to inform covered individuals of potential eligibility 

4 for a covered program. 

5 (c) APPLICATION.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission may only 

7 award a grant under this section to a State that 

8 submits an application at such time, in such form, 

9 and with such information and assurances as the 

10 Commission may require. 

11 (2) MATTERS REQUIRED TO BE INCLUDED.— 

12 An application submitted by a State under para13 graph (1) shall include— 

14 (A) the number of covered individuals in 

15 the State; 

16 (B) a plan for the activities that the State 

17 will conduct using grant funds, including a list 

18 of each agency within the State that will assist 

19 in carrying out those activities; and 

20 (C) an estimate of the percentage of eligi21 ble-but-not-enrolled individuals in the State who 

22 will be reached by those activities. 

23 (d) SELECTION.— 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
5 

•S 3024 IS

1 (1) MINIMUM OF 5 STATES.—The Commission 

2 shall award grants under this section to not fewer 

3 than 5 States. 

4 (2) FACTORS FOR CONSIDERATION.—In award5 ing grants under this section, the Commission shall 

6 give favorable consideration— 

7 (A) to States that have higher numbers of 

8 covered individuals; and 

9 (B) to States proposing, in the plans sub10 mitted under subsection (c)(2)(B), to conduct 

11 activities that have the potential to reach higher 

12 percentages of eligible-but-not-enrolled individ13 uals in those States, as determined by the Com14 mission, taking into consideration the estimates 

15 submitted under subsection (c)(2)(C). 

16 (3) GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY.—In awarding 

17 grants under this section, the Commission shall, to 

18 the maximum extent practicable, select States from 

19 different geographic regions of the United States. 

20 (e) USE OF FUNDS.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—A State that receives a 

22 grant under this section shall use grant funds, in ac23 cordance with the plan included in the application of 

24 the State under subsection (c)(2)(B), to— 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
6 

•S 3024 IS

1 (A) inform covered individuals and organi2 zations or agencies that serve those individuals, 

3 as the case may be under the terms of the 

4 grant awarded to the State, of potential eligi5 bility for a covered program; 

6 (B) provide those covered individuals with 

7 information about covered programs, includ8 ing— 

9 (i) how to apply for a covered pro10 gram; and 

11 (ii) a description of the prohibition on 

12 more than 1 subscriber in each household 

13 receiving a service provided under a cov14 ered program; and 

15 (C) partner with nonprofit and community16 based organizations to provide those covered in17 dividuals with assistance applying for a covered 

18 program and information about product and 

19 technology choices. 

20 (2) MULTIPLE STATE AGENCIES.—A State that 

21 receives a grant under this section may provide 

22 grant funds to 1 or more agencies located within the 

23 State, as identified under subsection (c)(2)(B), to 

24 carry out the activities under the grant. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
7 

•S 3024 IS

1 (f) OUTREACH TO STATES REGARDING GRANT PRO2 GRAM.—Before accepting applications for the grant pro3 gram established under this section, the Commission shall 

4 conduct outreach to States to ensure that States are aware 

5 of the grant program and how to apply for a grant under 

6 the grant program. 

7 (g) REGULATIONS REQUIRED.—Not later than 30 

8 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commis9 sion shall promulgate regulations to implement this sec10 tion. 

11 (h) ENFORCEMENT.—A violation of this section or a 

12 regulation promulgated under this section shall be treated 

13 as a violation of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 

14 U.S.C. 151 et seq.) or a regulation promulgated under 

15 such Act. The Commission shall enforce this section and 

16 the regulations promulgated under this section in the same 

17 manner, by the same means, and with the same jurisdic18 tion, powers, and duties as though all applicable terms and 

19 provisions of the Communications Act of 1934 were incor20 porated into and made a part of this section. 

21 (i) EXEMPTIONS.— 

22 (1) CERTAIN RULEMAKING REQUIREMENTS.— 

23 Section 553 of title 5, United States Code, shall not 

24 apply to a regulation promulgated under this section 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
8 

•S 3024 IS

1 or a rulemaking proceeding to promulgate such a 

2 regulation. 

3 (2) PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT REQUIRE4 MENTS.—A collection of information conducted or 

5 sponsored under the regulations required under this 

6 section shall not constitute a collection of informa7 tion for the purposes of subchapter I of chapter 35 

8 of title 44, United States Code (commonly known as 

9 the ‘‘Paperwork Reduction Act’’). 

10 (j) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 

11 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after 

12 establishing the grant program under this section, 

13 the Commission shall submit to Congress a report 

14 evaluating the effectiveness of the grant program. 

15 (2) CONTENTS.—The report submitted under 

16 paragraph (1) shall include— 

17 (A) the number of individuals notified of 

18 covered program eligibility by States receiving 

19 grants under this section; 

20 (B) the number of new applicants to a cov21 ered program from States receiving grants 

22 under this section, including the number of 

23 those applicants who enrolled in a covered pro24 gram; and 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
9 

•S 3024 IS

1 (C) the cost-effectiveness of the grant pro2 gram established under this section. 

3 (k) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

4 authorized to be appropriated to the Commission such 

5 sums as may be necessary to carry out this section for 

6 the first 5 full fiscal years beginning after the establish7 ment of the grant program under this section. 

8 SEC. 3. GRANTS TO STATES TO STRENGTHEN NATIONAL 

9 LIFELINE ELIGIBILITY VERIFIER. 

10 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

11 (1) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 

12 means the Federal Communications Commission. 

13 (2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti14 ty’’ means a State that, not later than 30 days after 

15 the date of enactment of this Act, submits to the 

16 Commission an application for a grant under this 

17 section containing such information as the Commis18 sion may require. 

19 (3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each 

20 State of the United States, the District of Columbia, 

21 each commonwealth, territory, or possession of the 

22 United States, and each federally recognized Indian 

23 Tribe. 

24 (b) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 

25 the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
10 

•S 3024 IS

1 establish a program to provide a grant, from amounts ap2 propriated under subsection (e), to each eligible entity for 

3 the purpose described in subsection (c). 

4 (c) PURPOSE.—The Commission shall make a grant 

5 to each eligible entity for the purpose of establishing, re6 newing, reestablishing, or maintaining or amending a con7 nection between the databases of the eligible entity that 

8 contain information concerning the receipt by a household, 

9 or a member of a household, of benefits under a program 

10 administered by the eligible entity (including any benefit 

11 provided under the supplemental nutrition assistance pro12 gram under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 

13 2011 et seq.)) and the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier 

14 so that the receipt by a household, or a member of a 

15 household, of benefits under the benefits program— 

16 (1) is reflected in the National Lifeline Eligi17 bility Verifier; and 

18 (2) can be used to verify eligibility for— 

19 (A) the Lifeline program established under 

20 subpart E, part 54, of title 47, Code of Federal 

21 Regulations, or any successor regulation; and 

22 (B) the Affordable Connectivity Program 

23 established under section 904(b) of division N 

24 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 

25 (47 U.S.C. 1752(b)), or any successor program. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
11 

•S 3024 IS

1 (d) DISBURSEMENT OF GRANT FUNDS.—Not later 

2 than 120 days after the date on which the Commission 

3 establishes the program under subsection (b), funds pro4 vided under each grant made under such subsection shall 

5 be disbursed to the eligible entity receiving such grant. 

6 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION.—There is 

7 authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be nec8 essary to carry out this section. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB