Closing the Homework Gap Through Mobile Hotspots Act

To amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act to establish a mobile hotspot grant program, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Closing the Homework Gap Through Mobile Hotspots Act 2. Mobile hotspot grant program The National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act 159 Mobile hotspot grant program (a) Establishment The Assistant Secretary shall establish a program (to be known as the Mobile Hotspot Grant Program (b) Grant authority The Assistant Secretary may provide grants to eligible institutions under the program established in subsection (a). (c) Application To be eligible to receive a grant provided under this section, an eligible institution shall submit an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Assistant Secretary may require. (d) Use of grants A grant provided under this section shall be used to facilitate a mobile hotspot program that provides a hotspot device to an enrolled student, or the family or guardian of such enrolled student, and such hotspot device shall— (1) be portable; (2) not contain a data limitation; and (3) comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 15 U.S.C. 6501 (e) Priority of grants (1) In general The Assistant Secretary shall prioritize providing a grant to eligible institutions that create a mobile hotspot program that will provide hotspot devices to the highest number of low-income students. (2) Set asides (A) Federally recognized Indian Tribes To the extent practicable, at least 5 percent of the amounts appropriated to carry out this section shall be used to provide grants to federally recognized Indian Tribes. (B) U.S. territories and the District of Columbia To the extent practicable, at least 5 percent of the amounts appropriated to carry out this section shall be used to provide grants to territories of the United States and the District of Columbia. (f) Grant limit An eligible institution may not receive more than 2 percent of the total sum appropriated for a fiscal year to carry out this section. (g) Report The Assistant Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on— (1) the number of eligible institutions that receive a grant provided under this section; (2) the number of enrolled students that receive access to broadband internet access service through a grant provided under this section; (3) the number of enrolled students that are part of the homework gap; (4) how hotspot devices are used; and (5) the amount of data used per hotspot device. (h) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 for each fiscal year 2020 through 2025. (i) Definitions In this section: (1) Broadband internet access service The term broadband internet access service (2) Elementary school; secondary school The terms elementary school secondary school 20 U.S.C. 7801 (3) Eligible institution The term eligible institution (A) An elementary school. (B) A secondary school. (C) An institution of higher education. (D) A federally recognized Indian Tribe. (E) A library. (F) A library consortium. (G) A State library administrative agency. (4) Enrolled student The term enrolled student (5) Federally recognized Indian Tribe The term federally recognized Indian Tribe Indian tribe 25 U.S.C. 5304 (6) Homework gap The term homework gap (7) Hotspot device The term hotspot device (A) that connects to broadband internet access service using a cellular data connection; (B) to which other devices wirelessly connect by means of Wi-Fi; and (C) that enables the devices described in subparagraph (B) to connect to the broadband internet access service described in subparagraph (A). (8) Institution of higher education The term institution of higher education 20 U.S.C. 1001 (9) Library; library consortium; State library administrative agency The terms library library consortium State library administrative agency 20 U.S.C. 9122 (10) Low-income student The term low-income student 20 U.S.C. 9832 .

Summary: Closing the Homework Gap Through Mobile Hotspots Act This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to establish the Mobile Hotspot Grant Program. Under the program, the NTIA may provide grants to eligible institutions (e.g., elementary and secondary schools, universities, Indian Tribes, or libraries) to facilitate a mobile hotspot program that provides students with a portable hotspot device for connecting to the internet. The NTIA shall prioritize institutions that will provide hotspots to the highest number of low-income students and, to the extent practicable, shall disburse at least 5% of grant funds to Indian Tribes and 5% to U.S. territories and the District of Columbia.