IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1616 

Expressing the support of Congress for National Telephone Discount Lifeline 

Awareness Week. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 14, 2010 

Ms. MATSUI (for herself and Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 

Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the support of Congress for National Telephone 

Discount Lifeline Awareness Week. 

Whereas under the direction of Congress, the Federal Communications Commission (‘‘FCC’’) and the State public 

utility commissions have joined in a collaborative effort to 

make local telephone service more affordable for the Nation’s low-income consumers by providing a discount on 

the connection fee and monthly recurring charge; 

Whereas the Link-Up America (‘‘Link-Up’’) and Lifeline Assistance (‘‘Lifeline’’) programs offer tremendous benefits 

for eligible consumers residing in urban, rural, and suburban areas in the United States and make basic telephone service more affordable; 


smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HRES 1616 IH 

Whereas Link-Up provides an appropriate discount to eligible 

customers on the installation of telephone service in their 

homes and Lifeline provides a discount to eligible low-income customers on their monthly phone bill; 

Whereas consumers should not be without local telephone 

service due to the inability to afford such service, thus 

the promotion of Link-Up and Lifeline is imperative to 

ensure that all United States consumers have access to 

affordable basic local telephone service and the benefits 

in an emergency that such service provides; 

Whereas FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski stated on February 23, 2010, that ‘‘. . . in the 21st century, a digital 

divide is an opportunity divide. To bolster American competitiveness abroad and to create the jobs of the future 

here at home, we need to make sure that all Americans 

have the skills and means to fully participate in the digital economy.’’; 

Whereas the FCC’s National Broadband Plan found that 93 

million Americans do not subscribe to broadband services 

at home; 

Whereas the National Broadband Plan found that 36 percent 

of non-adopters, or 28 million Americans, said they do 

not have home broadband service because of the cost of 

the service, the cost of the installation of the service, or 

the cost of a computer; 

Whereas the National Broadband Plan, as a central recommendation to increase broadband adoption rates, recommends the expansion of Link-Up and Lifeline for universal broadband adoption to help bridge the digital divide; 


smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HRES 1616 IH 

Whereas about 1⁄3 of consumers eligible for Link-Up and 

Lifeline do not participate in these programs, underscoring the need for increased public education to inform 

United States consumers about Link-Up and Lifeline; 

Whereas Congress, the FCC, the National Association of 

Regulatory Utility Commissioners (‘‘NARUC’’), the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates 

(‘‘NASUCA’’), other State and Federal agencies, cities, 

counties, organizations, and telecommunications companies are committed to increasing awareness about the 

availability of Link-Up and Lifeline and are encouraging 

eligible consumers to sign up for the programs; 

Whereas because millions of United States consumers are 

struggling financially during the recent economic downturn, programs, such as Link-Up and Lifeline, are even 

more essential for eligible low-income consumers to connect to and stay connected to the telecommunications 

network; and 

Whereas NARUC and NASUCA, in cooperation with the 

FCC, have joined together to designate the first full week 

in September following the week of Labor Day as ‘‘National Telephone Discount Lifeline Awareness Week’’ and 

to implement a comprehensive outreach plan to promote 

Link-Up and Lifeline subscribership: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of Congress that— 

2 (1) the national interest of the United States is 

3 served by further outreach, education, and participa4 tion in Link-Up and Lifeline by eligible low-income 

5 consumers; 


smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HRES 1616 IH 

1 (2) Link-Up and Lifeline provide a valuable 

2 service to low-income consumers in the United 

3 States; 

4 (3) the FCC should support conducting pilot 

5 programs to gather data to design an efficient pro6 gram for making broadband affordable to such low7 income consumers; 

8 (4) Link-up and Lifeline should be expanded to 

9 allow eligible low-income consumers to access afford10 able broadband services; 

11 (5) the FCC, NARUC, and NASUCA are to be 

12 commended for their initiative creating ‘‘National 

13 Telephone Discount Lifeline Awareness Week’’ to 

14 promote Link-Up and Lifeline subscribership; and 

15 (6) Congress supports such initiative across the 

16 Nation. 

Æ 


smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with BILLS