I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7973 

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 7, 2020 

Mr. LUJA ́N (for himself and Mr. MULLIN) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 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 Federal universal service support program for 

20 schools and libraries authorized under sub21 section (h)(1)(B), the rules of which are set 

22 forth under subpart F of part 54 of title 47, 

23 Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor 

24 regulation); 

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); 

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

5 meaning given the term ‘Indian tribe’ in section 

6 20.100 of title 25, Code of Federal Regulations, 

7 or any successor regulation; 

8 ‘‘(E) the term ‘qualifying essential commu9 nity-serving institution’ means a facility exclu10 sively owned by an Indian Tribe and designated 

11 by such Indian Tribe for purposes of paragraph 

12 (2)(B), including a Tribal Government building, 

13 chapter house, longhouse, community center, 

14 senior center, or other similar public building; 

15 and 

16 ‘‘(F) the term ‘Tribal College or Univer17 sity’ has the meaning given the term in section 

18 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

19 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)). 

20 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBILITY OF TRIBAL LIBRARIES FOR E21 RATE SUPPORT.— 

22 ‘‘(A) DESIGNATION OF TRIBAL LIBRARIES

23 AS LIBRARIES ELIGIBLE FOR E-RATE SUP24 PORT.— 


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1 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—An Indian Tribe 

2 that is eligible for support under section 

3 261 of the Library Services and Tech4 nology Act (20 U.S.C. 9161) may des5 ignate a Tribal library or Tribal library 

6 consortium, including a public-serving li7 brary of a Tribal College or University 

8 (notwithstanding section 54.501(b)(2) of 

9 title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or 

10 any successor regulation), as a library or 

11 library consortium that is eligible for E12 rate support, without regard to whether 

13 the library or library consortium is eligible 

14 for assistance from a State library admin15 istrative agency under the Library Services 

16 and Technology Act (20 U.S.C. 9121 et 

17 seq.) (notwithstanding the requirement re18 lating to such eligibility in subsection 

19 (h)(4) of this section and section 

20 54.501(b)(1) of title 47, Code of Federal 

21 Regulations, or any successor regulation), 

22 if the library or library consortium is eligi23 ble for support from such Indian Tribe 

24 under such section 261. 


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1 ‘‘(ii) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.— 

2 Nothing in clause (i) shall be construed to 

3 exempt a Tribal library or Tribal library 

4 consortium from any requirement under 

5 the E-rate program not described in that 

6 clause, including the other requirements 

7 relating to eligible recipients under section 

8 54.501 of title 47, Code of Federal Regula9 tions (or any successor regulation). 

10 ‘‘(B) TRIBAL ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY11 SERVING INSTITUTION PROGRAM.— 

12 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The Commission, 

13 in consultation with the Director of the In14 stitute of Museum and Library Services 

15 and the head of any other agency with rel16 evant responsibilities, shall establish a pro17 gram to be known as the ‘Tribal Essential 

18 Community-Serving Institution Program’, 

19 under which the Commission shall provide 

20 E-rate support to Indian Tribes for quali21 fying essential community-serving institu22 tions designated by such Indian Tribes. 

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

24 obtained under this subparagraph shall 

25 only be available to an Indian Tribe if the 


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1 proposed qualifying essential community2 serving institution intends to deliver pub3 licly available internet access and tele4 communications services to students, 

5 teachers, librarians, and members of the 

6 community. 

7 ‘‘(C) USE OF CONTRIBUTIONS.—Of the 

8 amount collected for Federal universal service 

9 support programs under subsection (d), 

10 $100,000,000 shall be made available for the 3- 

11 fiscal-year period beginning after the date of 

12 the enactment of this subsection to the Com13 mission to carry out this paragraph. 

14 ‘‘(3) TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

15 FOR TRIBAL SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES.— 

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

17 shall— 

18 ‘‘(i) direct the Administrator des19 ignated by the Commission to administer 

20 the Federal universal service support pro21 grams under this section to submit an an22 nual report to the Commission regarding 

23 the actions of the E-rate program to en24 sure that Tribal schools and libraries can 


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1 participate fully and effectively in the E2 rate program, including— 

3 ‘‘(I) outreach efforts targeted to 

4 Tribal schools and libraries to pro5 mote awareness of the E-rate pro6 gram; 

7 ‘‘(II) specific E-rate training pro8 grams for Tribal schools and libraries; 

9 and 

10 ‘‘(III) other technical assistance 

11 initiatives regarding the application 

12 process for the E-rate program that 

13 are available to Tribal schools and li14 braries; and 

15 ‘‘(ii) submit each annual report de16 scribed in clause (i) to— 

17 ‘‘(I) the Committee on Com18 merce, Science, and Transportation of 

19 the Senate; 

20 ‘‘(II) the Committee on Indian 

21 Affairs of the Senate; 

22 ‘‘(III) the Committee on Energy 

23 and Commerce of the House of Rep24 resentatives; and 


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1 ‘‘(IV) the Committee on Natural 

2 Resources of the House of Represent3 atives. 

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

5 Commission shall review each annual report re6 quired under subparagraph (A) to determine 

7 whether additional steps are necessary to en8 sure that Tribal schools and libraries can par9 ticipate fully and effectively in the E-rate pro10 gram. 

11 ‘‘(C) UNIVERSAL SERVICE TECHNICAL AS12 SISTANCE AND TRAINING.—The Commission, in 

13 consultation with the Director of the Institute 

14 of Museum and Library Services, shall provide 

15 technical assistance and training to Indian 

16 Tribes with respect to Federal universal service 

17 support programs. 

18 ‘‘(4) COORDINATION AND PERFORMANCE MEAS19 UREMENT.—The Commission shall— 

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

21 the Commission relating to institutions that re22 ceive E-rate support by defining the term ‘trib23 al’ on the application for E-rate support; and 

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

25 measures to track progress on achieving the 


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1 strategic objective of the Commission of ensur2 ing that all Indian Tribes have affordable ac3 cess to broadband internet access service for 

4 educational purposes for students, teachers, li5 brarians, and members of the community; 

6 ‘‘(ii) in coordination with the Director of 

7 the Institute of Museum and Library Services, 

8 identify Tribal libraries and developing Tribal 

9 libraries in the United States; and 

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

11 of the enactment of this subsection, submit to 

12 Congress and make public a report on the goals 

13 and measures developed under clause (i) and 

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

Æ 


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