I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2524 

To direct the Federal Communications Commission to establish a program 

to make grants to States to inform Medicaid enrollees, SNAP participants, and low-income residents of potential eligibility for the Lifeline 

program of the Commission. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 14, 2021 

Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To direct the Federal Communications Commission to establish a program to make grants to States to inform Medicaid enrollees, SNAP participants, and low-income residents of potential eligibility for the Lifeline program 

of the Commission. 

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 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. LIFELINE ENROLLMENT OUTREACH GRANTS. 

7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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

2 means the Federal Communications Commission. 

3 (2) COVERED INDIVIDUALS.—The term ‘‘cov4 ered individuals’’ means— 

5 (A) Medicaid enrollees; 

6 (B) SNAP participants; and 

7 (C) low-income residents. 

8 (3) ELIGIBLE-BUT-NOT-ENROLLED.—The term 

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

10 individual, that the individual is eligible for the Life11 line program but is not enrolled in the Lifeline pro12 gram. 

13 (4) LIFELINE PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Lifeline 

14 program’’ means the Lifeline program of the Com15 mission. 

16 (5) LOW-INCOME.—The term ‘‘low-income’’ 

17 means a gross annual income at or below 135 per18 cent of the Federal poverty level. 

19 (6) MEDICAID ENROLLEE.—The term ‘‘Med20 icaid enrollee’’ means, with respect to a State, an in21 dividual enrolled in the State plan under title XIX 

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

23 or a waiver of that plan. 

24 (7) REACH.—The term ‘‘reach’’ means, with re25 spect to an individual, to inform the individual of poVerDate Sep 11 2014 08:52 May 28, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2524.IH H2524

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1 tential eligibility for the Lifeline program and to 

2 provide the individual with information about the 

3 Lifeline program, as described in subsection (e). 

4 (8) SNAP PARTICIPANT.—The term ‘‘SNAP 

5 participant’’ means an individual who is a member 

6 of a household that participates in the supplemental 

7 nutrition assistance program under the Food and 

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

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

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

11 each commonwealth, territory, or possession of the 

12 United States, and each federally recognized Indian 

13 Tribe. 

14 (b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Commission shall estab15 lish a competitive program to make grants to States to 

16 inform covered individuals of potential eligibility for the 

17 Lifeline program. 

18 (c) APPLICATION.— 

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

20 award a grant under this section to a State that 

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

22 and with such information and assurances as the 

23 Commission may require. 


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1 (2) MATTERS REQUIRED TO BE INCLUDED.— 

2 An application submitted by a State under para3 graph (1) shall include— 

4 (A) the number of covered individuals in 

5 the State; 

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

7 will conduct using grant funds, including a list 

8 of each agency within the State that will assist 

9 in carrying out those activities; and 

10 (C) an estimate of the percentage of eligi11 ble-but-not-enrolled individuals in the State who 

12 will be reached by those activities. 

13 (d) SELECTION.— 

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

15 shall award grants under this section to not fewer 

16 than 5 States. 

17 (2) FACTORS FOR CONSIDERATION.—In award18 ing grants under this section, the Commission shall 

19 give favorable consideration— 

20 (A) to States that have higher numbers of 

21 covered individuals; and 

22 (B) to States proposing, in the plans sub23 mitted under subsection (c)(2)(B), to conduct 

24 activities that have the potential to reach higher 

25 percentages of eligible-but-not-enrolled individVerDate Sep 11 2014 08:52 May 28, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2524.IH H2524

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1 uals in those States, as determined by the Com2 mission, taking into consideration the estimates 

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

4 (3) GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY.—In awarding 

5 grants under this section, the Commission shall, to 

6 the maximum extent practicable, select States from 

7 different geographic regions of the United States. 

8 (e) USE OF FUNDS.— 

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

10 grant under this section shall use grant funds, in ac11 cordance with the plan included in the application of 

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

13 (A) inform covered individuals and organi14 zations or agencies that serve those individuals, 

15 as the case may be under the terms of the 

16 grant awarded to the State, of potential eligi17 bility for the Lifeline program; 

18 (B) provide those covered individuals with 

19 information about the Lifeline program, includ20 ing— 

21 (i) how to apply for the Lifeline pro22 gram; and 

23 (ii) a description of the prohibition on 

24 more than 1 subscriber in each household 


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1 receiving a service provided under the Life2 line program; and 

3 (C) partner with nonprofit and community4 based organizations to provide those covered in5 dividuals with assistance applying for the Life6 line program and information about product 

7 and technology choices. 

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

9 receives a grant under this section may provide 

10 grant funds to 1 or more agencies located within the 

11 State to carry out the activities under the grant. 

12 (f) OUTREACH TO STATES REGARDING GRANT PRO13 GRAM.—Before accepting applications for the grant pro14 gram established under this section, the Commission shall 

15 conduct outreach to States to ensure that States are aware 

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

17 the grant program. 

18 (g) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 

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

20 establishing the grant program under this section, 

21 the Commission shall submit to Congress a report 

22 evaluating the effectiveness of the grant program. 

23 (2) CONTENTS.—The report submitted under 

24 paragraph (1) shall include— 


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1 (A) the number of individuals notified of 

2 Lifeline program eligibility by States receiving 

3 grants under this section; 

4 (B) the number of new applicants to the 

5 Lifeline program from States receiving grants 

6 under this section, including the number of 

7 those applicants whose Lifeline program appli8 cations were approved and the number of those 

9 applicants whose Lifeline program applications 

10 were denied; and 

11 (C) the cost-effectiveness of the grant pro12 gram established under this section. 

13 (h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

14 authorized to be appropriated to the Commission such 

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

16 the first 5 full fiscal years beginning after the establish17 ment of the grant program under this section. 

Æ 


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