I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7948 
To include reasonable costs for high-speed internet service in the utility 
allowances for families residing in public housing, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 11, 2024 
Mr. FOSTER (for himself, Ms. NORTON, Ms. DEAN of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
JOHNSON
of Georgia, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. MCGOVERN, and Mrs. 
BEATTY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Financial Services 
A BILL 
To include reasonable costs for high-speed internet service 
in the utility allowances for families residing in public 
housing, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Closing the Digital 
Divide for Students Act of 2024’’. 
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SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF HIGH-SPEED INTERNET SERVICE IN 
PUBLIC HOUSING UTILITY ALLOWANCES FOR 
CERTAIN FAMILIES. 
Subsection (b) of section 3 of the United States 
Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)) is amended 
by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(14) UTILITY ALLOWANCE.—A utility allowance 
under this Act for public housing shall include costs for 
high-speed internet service, including the cost of renting 
or purchasing equipment necessary to access such service 
and a one-time installation fee, subject to the following 
limitations: 
‘‘(A) COST.—The cost included in a utility al-
lowance for a public housing dwelling unit pursuant 
to this paragraph for monthly internet service shall 
not— 
‘‘(i) exceed the lowest cost available in the 
area of such housing for such monthly high- 
speed internet service; and 
‘‘(ii) include any costs for cable or satellite 
television service or telephone service. 
‘‘(B) FAMILY CHOICE.—Subparagraph (A) may 
not be construed to prohibit a household in public 
housing from subscribing to— 
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‘‘(i) a high-speed internet service the cost 
of which exceeds the cost described in subpara-
graph (A)(i); or 
‘‘(ii) any joint package for internet service 
together with cable or satellite television service 
or telephone service, or both. 
‘‘(C) QUALIFIED
FAMILIES.—Costs for high- 
speed internet service may be included in a utility al-
lowance only for a household that incurs such costs 
and includes children who qualify for free and re-
duced price lunch pursuant to section 9 of the Rich-
ard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 
U.S.C. 1758). 
‘‘(D) PROTECTION OF MINORS.—Costs for high- 
speed internet service may be included in a utility al-
lowance for a household only if the internet service 
provider, upon initial provision of such service for a 
household, provides the household with a specific 
technology capable of blocking or filtering internet 
access to visual depictions described in section 
254(h)(5)(B)(i) of the Communications Act of 1934 
(47 U.S.C. 254(h)(5)(B)(i)) that provides a level of 
protection against access by minors to such depic-
tions through the internet that is at least as great 
as the level of protection provided by a technology 
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