SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Digital Global Access 
Policy Act of 2017’’ or the ‘‘Digital GAP Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to— 
(1) encourage the efforts of developing coun-
tries to improve mobile and fixed access to the Inter-
net in order to catalyze innovation, spur economic 
growth and job creation, improve health, education, 
and financial services, reduce poverty and gender in-
equality, mitigate disasters, promote democracy and 
good governance, and strengthen cybersecurity; 
(2) promote build once policies and approaches 
and the multi-stakeholder approach to Internet gov-
ernance; and 
(3) ensure the effective use of United States 
foreign assistance resources toward this end. 
SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The number of Internet users worldwide 
has more than tripled from 1 billion to 3.2 billion 
since 2005, yet the growth rate of Internet access is 
slowing. An estimated 4.2 billion people, or 60 per-
cent of the world’s population, remain offline, an es-
timated 75 percent of the offline population lives in 
just 20 countries, and rural, female, elderly, illit-
erate, and low-income populations are being left be-
hind. 
(2) Studies suggest that women across the de-
veloping world are disproportionately affected by a 
digital gap, and that bringing an additional 600 mil-
lion women online would contribute $13 billion to 
$18 billion to annual GDP across 144 developing 
countries. 
(3) Internet access in developing countries is 
most often hampered by a lack of infrastructure and 
a poor regulatory environment for investment. 
(4) Build once policies and approaches, which 
seek to coordinate public and private sector invest-
ments in roads and other critical infrastructure, can 
minimize the number and scale of excavation and 
construction activities when installing telecommuni-
cations infrastructure in rights-of-way, thereby re-
ducing installation costs for high-speed Internet net-
works and serving as a development best practice. 
SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
Congress declares that it is the policy of the United 
States to consult, partner, and coordinate with the govern-
ments of foreign countries, international organizations, re-
gional economic communities, businesses, civil society, and
other stakeholders in a concerted effort to close the digital 
gap by promoting— 
(1) first-time Internet access to mobile or 
broadband Internet for at least 1.5 billion people in 
developing countries by 2020 in both urban and 
rural areas; 
(2) Internet deployment and related coordina-
tion, capacity building, and build once policies and 
approaches in developing countries, including actions 
to encourage— 
(A) standardization of build once policies 
and approaches for the inclusion of broadband 
conduit in rights-of-way projects that are fund-
ed, co-funded, or partially financed by the 
United States or any international organization 
that includes the United States as a member, in 
consultation with telecommunications providers, 
unless a cost-benefit analysis determines that 
the cost of such approach outweighs the bene-
fits; 
(B) adoption and integration of build once 
policies and approaches into the development 
and investment strategies of national and local 
government agencies of developing countries 
and donor governments and organizations that
will enhance coordination with the private sec-
tor for road building, pipe laying, and other 
major infrastructure projects; and 
(C) provision of increased financial support 
by 
international 
organizations, 
including 
through grants, loans, and technical assistance, 
to expand information and communications ac-
cess and Internet connectivity; 
(3) policy changes that encourage first-time af-
fordable access to the Internet in developing coun-
tries, including actions to encourage— 
(A) integration of universal and gender-eq-
uitable Internet access goals, to be informed by 
the collection of related gender disaggregated 
data, and Internet tools into national develop-
ment plans and United States Government 
country-level development strategies; 
(B) reforms of competition laws and spec-
trum allocation processes that may impede the 
ability of companies to provide Internet serv-
ices; and 
(C) efforts to improve procurement proc-
esses to help attract and incentivize investment 
in Internet infrastructure;
(4) the removal of tax and regulatory barriers 
to Internet access; 
(5) the use of the Internet to increase economic 
growth and trade, including— 
(A) policies and strategies to remove re-
strictions to e-commerce, cross-border informa-
tion flows, and competitive marketplaces; and 
(B) entrepreneurship and distance learning 
enabled by access to technology; 
(6) use of the Internet to bolster democracy, 
government accountability, transparency, and human 
rights, including through the establishments of poli-
cies, initiatives, and investments that— 
(A) support the development of national 
Internet plans that are consistent with United 
States human rights goals, including freedom of 
expression, religion, assembly, and association; 
(B) expand online access to government in-
formation and services to enhance government 
accountability and service delivery, including for 
areas in which government may have limited 
presence; 
(C) advance the principles of responsible 
Internet governance, including commitments to 
maintain open and equitable access; and
(D) support programs, research, and tech-
nologies that safeguard human rights and fun-
damental freedoms online, and enable political 
organizing and activism, free speech, and reli-
gious expression that are in compliance with 
international human rights standards; 
(7) Internet access and inclusion into Internet 
policymaking for women, people with disabilities, mi-
norities, low-income and marginalized groups, and 
underserved populations; 
(8) cybersecurity and data protection, including 
international use of the National Institute of Stand-
ards and Technology (NIST) Framework for Im-
proving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity, that 
are industry-led and globally recognized cybersecu-
rity standards and best practices; and 
(9) inter-agency coordination and cooperation 
across all executive branch agencies regarding the 
construction and promotion of Internet initiatives as 
a greater part of United States foreign policy. 
SEC. 5. LEVERAGING INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT. 
In pursuing the policy described in section 4, the 
President should direct United States representatives to 
appropriate international bodies to use the influence of the 
United States, consistent with the broad development
goals of the United States, to advocate that each such 
body— 
(1) commit to increase efforts and coordination 
to promote affordable and gender-equitable Internet 
access, in partnership with stakeholders and con-
sistent with host countries’ absorptive capacity; 
(2) integrate affordable and gender-equitable 
Internet access data into existing economic and busi-
ness assessments, evaluations, and indexes such as 
the Millennium Challenge Corporation constraints 
analysis, the Doing Business Report, International 
Monetary Fund Article IV assessments and country 
reports, the Open Data Barometer, and the Afford-
ability Drivers Index; 
(3) standardize inclusion of broadband conduit 
as part of highway or comparable construction 
projects in developing countries, in consultation with 
telecommunications providers, unless such inclusion 
would create an undue burden, is not necessary 
based on the availability of existing broadband infra-
structure, or a cost-benefit analysis determines that 
the cost outweighs the benefits; 
(4) provide technical assistance to the regu-
latory authorities in developing countries to remove 
unnecessary barriers to investment in otherwise com-
mercially viable projects and strengthen weak regu-
lations or develop new regulations to support market 
growth and development; 
(5) utilize clear, accountable, and metric-based 
targets, including targets with gender-disaggregated 
data, to measure the effectiveness of efforts to pro-
mote Internet access; and 
(6) promote and protect human rights online, 
such as the freedoms of expression, religion, assem-
bly, and association, through resolutions, public 
statements, projects, and initiatives, and advocate 
that other member states of such bodies are held ac-
countable when major violations are uncovered. 
SEC. 6. DEPARTMENT OF STATE ORGANIZATION. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that the Secretary of State should seek to enhance 
the efficiency and effectiveness of United States foreign 
assistance efforts to carry out the policies and objectives 
established by this Act, including by redesignating an ex-
isting Assistant Secretary position in the Department of 
State to be the Assistant Secretary for Cyberspace to lead 
the Department’s diplomatic cyberspace policy generally, 
including for cybersecurity, Internet access, Internet free-
dom, and to promote an open, secure, and reliable infor-
mation and communications technology infrastructure.
(b) ACTIVITIES.—In recognition of the added value 
of technical knowledge and expertise in the policymaking 
and diplomatic channels, the Secretary of State shall— 
(1) update existing training programs relevant 
to policy discussions; 
(2) promote the recruitment of candidates with 
technical expertise into the Civil Service and the 
Foreign Service; and 
(3) work to improve inter-agency coordination 
and cooperation on cybersecurity and Internet initia-
tives. 
(c) OFFSET.—To offset any costs incurred by the De-
partment of State to carry out the designation of an As-
sistant Secretary for Cyberspace in accordance with sub-
section (a), the Secretary of State shall eliminate such po-
sitions within the Department of State, unless otherwise 
authorized or required by law, as the Secretary determines 
to be necessary to fully offset such costs. 
(d) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—The redesignation of 
the Assistant Secretary position in the Department of 
State described in subsection (a) may not be construed 
as increasing the number of Assistant Secretary positions 
at the Department above the current level of 24 as author-
ized in section 1(c)(1) of the State Department Basic Au-
thorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a(c)(1)).
SEC. 7. USAID. 
It is the sense of Congress that the Administrator 
of the United States Agency for International Develop-
ment should— 
(1) integrate efforts to expand Internet access, 
develop appropriate technologies, and enhance digital 
literacy into the education, development, and eco-
nomic growth programs of the agency, where appro-
priate; 
(2) expand the utilization of information and 
communications technologies in humanitarian aid 
and disaster relief responses and United States oper-
ations involving stabilization and security to improve 
donor coordination, reduce duplication and waste, 
capture and share lessons learned, and augment dis-
aster preparedness and risk mitigation strategies; 
and 
(3) establish and promote guidelines for the 
protection of personal information of individuals 
served by humanitarian, disaster, and development 
programs implemented directly through the United 
States Government, through contracts funded by the 
United States Government, and by international or-
ganizations.
SEC. 8. PEACE CORPS. 
Section 3 of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2502) 
is amended by— 
(1) redesignating subsection (h) as subsection 
(e); and 
(2) adding at the end the following new sub-
sections: 
‘‘(f) It is the sense of Congress that access to tech-
nology can transform agriculture, community economic de-
velopment, education, environment, health, and youth de-
velopment which are the sectors in which Peace Corps cur-
rently develops positions for Volunteers. 
‘‘(g) In giving attention to the programs, projects, 
training, and other activities referred to in subsection (f), 
the Peace Corps should develop positions for Volunteers 
that are focused on leveraging technology for development, 
education, and social and economic mobility.’’. 
SEC. 9. PARTNERSHIP FRAMEWORK. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the President shall transmit to the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 
plans to promote partnerships by United States develop-
ment agencies, including the United States Agency for 
International Development and the Millennium Challenge 
Corporation, and international agencies funded by the
United States Government with the private sector and 
other stakeholders to expand affordable and gender equi-
table access to the Internet in developing countries, includ-
ing the following elements: 
(1) Methods for stakeholders to partner with 
such agencies in order to provide Internet access or 
Internet infrastructure in developing countries. 
(2) Methods of outreach to stakeholders to ex-
plore partnership opportunities for expanding Inter-
net access or Internet infrastructure, including co-
ordination with the private sector, when financing 
roads and telecommunications infrastructure. 
(3) Methods for early consultation with stake-
holders concerning projects in telecommunications 
and road construction to provide Internet access or 
Internet infrastructure. 
SEC. 10. REPORTING REQUIREMENT ON IMPLEMENTATION 
EFFORTS. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the President shall transmit to the Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate 
a report on efforts to implement the policies specified in 
this Act and a discussion of the plans and existing efforts
by the United States Government in developing countries 
to accomplish the following: 
(1) Developing a technical and regulatory road 
map for promoting Internet access in developing 
countries and a path to implementing such road 
map. 
(2) Identifying the regulatory barriers that may 
unduly impede Internet access, including regulation 
of wireline broadband deployment or the infrastruc-
ture to augment wireless broadband deployment. 
(3) Strengthening and supporting development 
of regulations that incentivize market growth and 
sector development. 
(4) Encouraging further public and private in-
vestment 
in 
Internet 
infrastructure, 
including 
broadband networks and services. 
(5) Increasing gender-equitable Internet access 
and otherwise encourage or support Internet deploy-
ment, competition, and adoption. 
(6) Improving the affordability of Internet ac-
cess. 
(7) Promoting technology and cybersecurity ca-
pacity building efforts and consult technical experts 
for advice regarding options to accelerate the ad-
vancement of Internet deployment, adoption, and 
usage. 
(8) Promoting Internet freedom globally and in-
clude civil society and the private sector in the for-
mulation of policies, projects, and advocacy efforts 
to protect human rights online. 
(9) Promoting and strengthening the multi- 
stakeholder model of Internet governance and ac-
tively participate in multi-stakeholder international 
fora, such as the Internet Governance Forum. 
(10) Advancing a strategy to promote— 
(A) global cybersecurity policy consistent 
with the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology (NIST) Framework for Improving 
Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity; 
(B) global Internet freedom principles, 
such as the freedoms of expression, religion, as-
sembly, and association, while combating efforts 
to impose restrictions on such freedoms; and 
(C) improved inter-agency coordination 
and cooperation on cybersecurity and Internet 
initiatives. 
SEC. 11. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act:
(1) 
BROADBAND.—The 
term 
‘‘broadband’’ 
means an Internet Protocol-based transmission serv-
ice that enables users to send and receive voice, 
video, data, graphics, or a combination thereof. 
(2) 
BROADBAND
CONDUIT.—The 
term 
‘‘broadband conduit’’ means a conduit for fiber optic 
cables that support broadband or wireless facilities 
for broadband service. 
(3) BUILD ONCE POLICIES AND APPROACHES.— 
The term ‘‘build once policies and approaches’’ 
means policies or practices that minimize the num-
ber and scale of excavation and construction activi-
ties when installing telecommunications infrastruc-
ture in rights-of-way. 
(4) CYBERSPACE.—The term ‘‘cyberspace’’ 
means the interdependent network of information 
technology infrastructures, and includes the Inter-
net, telecommunications networks, computer sys-
tems, and embedded processors and controllers in 
critical industries, and includes the virtual environ-
ment of information and interactions between peo-
ple. 
(5) STAKEHOLDERS.—The term ‘‘stakeholders’’ 
means the private sector, the public sector, coopera-
tives, civil society, the technical community that de-
velops Internet technologies, standards, implementa-
tion, operations, and applications, and other groups 
that are working to increase Internet access or are 
impacted by the lack of Internet access in their com-
munities. 
Passed the House of Representatives January 24, 
2017. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 600 
AN ACT 
To promote Internet access in developing countries 
and update foreign policy toward the Internet, 
and for other purposes.