IV 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 340 
Expressing the support of Congress for National Telephone Discount Lifeline 
Awareness Week. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 10, 2013 
Ms. MATSUI 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 Com-
munications Commission (‘‘FCC’’) and the State public 
utility commissions have joined in a collaborative effort to 
make basic telephone service more affordable for the Na-
tion’s low-income consumers by providing a discount; 
Whereas the universal service Lifeline program offers tremen-
dous benefits for eligible consumers residing in urban, 
rural, suburban, and Tribal areas in the United States 
and makes basic telephone service (wireline and wireless) 
more affordable; 
Whereas in 1984, 80 percent of low-income households had 
telephone service, compared with 95 percent of non-low- 
income households, and since the inception of Lifeline in 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:57 Sep 11, 2013
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR340.IH
HR340
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 340 IH 
1985, that 15-percent gap had narrowed to 4 percent by 
2011; 
Whereas the FCC has reformed the Lifeline program in re-
cent years to improve program efficiency and combat 
waste, fraud, and abuse to ensure that only eligible low- 
income consumers are receiving this vital support, includ-
ing a requirement that every recipient show proof of eligi-
bility at sign-up and recertify eligibility on an annual 
basis; 
Whereas consumers should not be without basic telephone 
service due to the inability to afford such service, thus 
the promotion of the Lifeline program is imperative to 
ensure that all United States consumers have access to 
affordable basic telephone service and the benefits in an 
emergency that such service provides; 
Whereas Acting FCC Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn stated on 
April 23, 2013, ‘‘Those who can benefit the most from 
high-speed Internet should have the means to purchase 
it, but when they don’t, not only is it not fair, the nega-
tive impact on our society and economy is immeas-
urable.’’; 
Whereas according to the Pew Research Center Home 
Broadband 2013 Report, nearly 1 in 3 United States citi-
zens still do not subscribe to broadband services at home; 
Whereas the National Broadband Plan found that 36 percent 
of non-adopters, or 28,000,000 United States citizens, 
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 rec-
ommendation to increase broadband adoption rates, rec-
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:57 Sep 11, 2013
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR340.IH
HR340
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 340 IH 
ommends the expansion of Link-Up and Lifeline for uni-
versal broadband adoption to help bridge the digital di-
vide; 
Whereas the FCC has launched a broadband pilot program 
to test different ways to bridge the digital divide so low- 
income consumers can have access to broadband; 
Whereas Congress, the FCC, the National Association of 
Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), the Na-
tional Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates 
(NASUCA), other State and Federal agencies, cities, 
counties, organizations, and telecommunications compa-
nies are committed to increasing awareness about the 
availability of the Lifeline program 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 down-
turn, programs, such as the Lifeline program, are even 
more essential for eligible low-income consumers to con-
nect 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 ‘‘Na-
tional Telephone Discount Lifeline Awareness Week’’ and 
to implement a comprehensive outreach plan to promote 
Lifeline awareness and educate current and potential 
subscribers about new eligibility rules and annual recer-
tification requirements by providing a discount on month-
ly recurring charges and, for eligible Tribal customers, on 
the connection fee as well: Now, therefore, be it 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:57 Sep 11, 2013
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR340.IH
HR340
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
•HRES 340 IH 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that— 
(1) the national interest of the United States is 
served by further outreach, education, and participa-
tion in the Lifeline program by eligible low-income 
consumers; 
(2) the FCC should be commended for efforts 
to improve the Lifeline program’s efficiency and ad-
dressing waste, fraud, and abuse in the program to 
ensure that vital Federal resources are only going to 
those who are truly eligible; 
(3) the Lifeline program provides a valuable 
service to low-income consumers in the United 
States; 
(4) the Lifeline program should be modernized 
to allow eligible low-income consumers to access af-
fordable telephone or broadband services; 
(5) the FCC, NARUC, and NASUCA are to be 
commended for their initiative in creating ‘‘National 
Telephone Discount Lifeline Awareness Week’’ to 
promote Lifeline subscribership; and 
(6) Congress supports such initiative across the 
Nation. 
Æ 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
01:57 Sep 11, 2013
Jkt 029200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR340.IH
HR340
jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS