I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7302 
To make high-speed broadband internet service accessible and affordable 
to all Americans, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 24, 2020 
Mr. CLYBURN (for himself, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Penn-
sylvania, Mrs. AXNE, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. BRINDISI, Mr. 
BUTTERFIELD, Mr. COX of California, Ms. CRAIG, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, 
Mr. DELGADO, Ms. ESHOO, Ms. FINKENAUER, Mr. GOLDEN, Ms. 
KENDRA S. HORN of Oklahoma, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. KIND, Ms. KUSTER 
of New Hampshire, Mr. LOEBSACK, Mr. LUJA´N, Mr. MALINOWSKI, Mr. 
MCEACHIN, Mr. MCNERNEY, Ms. MENG, Mr. MORELLE, Mr. PETERSON, 
Mr. POCAN, Ms. SEWELL of Alabama, Ms. SPANBERGER, Mr. TONKO, 
Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico, Mr. TRONE, Ms. UNDERWOOD, and 
Mr. WELCH) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To make high-speed broadband internet service accessible 
and affordable to all Americans, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
Sec. 3. Sense of Congress. 
Sec. 4. Severability. 
TITLE I—DIGITAL EQUITY 
Sec. 1000. Definitions. 
Subtitle A—Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth 
Sec. 1101. Establishment of the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth. 
Sec. 1102. Duties. 
Sec. 1103. Streamlined applications for support. 
Sec. 1104. Coordination of support. 
Sec. 1105. Rule of construction. 
Sec. 1106. Funding. 
Subtitle B—Digital Equity Programs 
Sec. 1201. State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program. 
Sec. 1202. Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program. 
Sec. 1203. Policy research, data collection, analysis and modeling, evaluation, 
and dissemination. 
Sec. 1204. General provisions. 
Subtitle C—Broadband Service for Low-Income Consumers 
Sec. 1301. Additional broadband benefit. 
Sec. 1302. Grants to States to strengthen National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier. 
Sec. 1303. Federal coordination between Lifeline and SNAP verification. 
Subtitle D—E-Rate Support for Wi-Fi Hotspots, Other Equipment, and 
Connected Devices 
Sec. 1401. E-rate support for Wi-Fi hotspots, other equipment, and connected 
devices. 
TITLE II—BROADBAND TRANSPARENCY 
Sec. 2001. Definitions. 
Sec. 2002. Broadband transparency. 
Sec. 2003. Distribution of data. 
Sec. 2004. Coordination with certain other Federal agencies. 
Sec. 2005. Broadband consumer labels. 
Sec. 2006. Appropriation for Broadband DATA Act. 
TITLE III—BROADBAND ACCESS 
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Subtitle A—Expansion of Broadband Access 
Sec. 3101. Expansion of broadband access in unserved areas and areas with 
low-tier or mid-tier service. 
Subtitle B—Broadband Infrastructure Finance and Innovation 
Sec. 3201. Definitions. 
Sec. 3202. Determination of eligibility and project selection. 
Sec. 3203. Secured loans. 
Sec. 3204. Lines of credit. 
Sec. 3205. Alternative prudential lending standards for small projects. 
Sec. 3206. Program administration. 
Sec. 3207. State and local permits. 
Sec. 3208. Regulations. 
Sec. 3209. Funding. 
Sec. 3210. Reports to Congress. 
Subtitle C—Wi-Fi on School Buses 
Sec. 3301. E-rate support for school bus Wi-Fi. 
TITLE IV—COMMUNITY BROADBAND 
Sec. 4001. State, local, public-private partnership, and co-op broadband serv-
ices. 
TITLE V—BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE DEPLOYMENT 
Sec. 5001. Broadband infrastructure deployment. 
TITLE VI—REPEAL OF RULE AND PROHIBITION ON USE OF 
NPRM 
Sec. 6001. Repeal of rule and prohibition on use of NPRM. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) AGING INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘‘aging indi-
vidual’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘older indi-
vidual’’ in section 102 of the Older Americans Act 
of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3002). 
(2) 
APPROPRIATE
COMMITTEES
OF
CON-
GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con-
gress’’ means— 
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(A) the Committee on Appropriations of 
the Senate; 
(B) the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate; 
(C) the Committee on Appropriations of 
the House of Representatives; and 
(D) the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce of the House of Representatives. 
(3) ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Assist-
ant Secretary’’ means the Assistant Secretary of 
Commerce for Communications and Information. 
(4) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Federal Communications Commission. 
(5) COVERED HOUSEHOLD.—The term ‘‘covered 
household’’ means a household the income of which 
does not exceed 150 percent of the poverty thresh-
old, as determined by using criteria of poverty estab-
lished by the Bureau of the Census, for a household 
of the size involved. 
(6) COVERED POPULATIONS.—The term ‘‘cov-
ered populations’’ means— 
(A) individuals who are members of cov-
ered households; 
(B) aging individuals; 
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(C) incarcerated individuals, other than in-
dividuals who are incarcerated in a Federal cor-
rectional facility (including a private facility op-
erated under contract with the Federal Govern-
ment); 
(D) veterans; 
(E) individuals with disabilities; 
(F) individuals with a language barrier, in-
cluding individuals who— 
(i) are English learners; or 
(ii) have low levels of literacy; 
(G) individuals who are members of a ra-
cial or ethnic minority group; and 
(H) individuals who primarily reside in a 
rural area. 
(7) DIGITAL LITERACY.—The term ‘‘digital lit-
eracy’’ means the skills associated with using tech-
nology to enable users to find, evaluate, organize, 
create, and communicate information. 
(8) DISABILITY.—The term ‘‘disability’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 3 of the Ameri-
cans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
12102). 
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(9) FEDERAL
AGENCY.—The term ‘‘Federal 
agency’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘agency’’ 
in section 551 of title 5, United States Code. 
(10) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 
has the meaning given the term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ in 
section 4(e) of the Indian Self-Determination and 
Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304(e)). 
(11) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.— 
The term ‘‘institution of higher education’’— 
(A) has the meaning given the term in sec-
tion 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1001); and 
(B) includes a postsecondary vocational in-
stitution. 
(12) POSTSECONDARY
VOCATIONAL
INSTITU-
TION.—The term ‘‘postsecondary vocational institu-
tion’’ has the meaning given the term in section 
102(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1002(c)). 
(13) RURAL AREA.—The term ‘‘rural area’’ has 
the meaning given the term in section 13 of the 
Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 913). 
(14) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ has the mean-
ing given the term in section 3 of the Communica-
tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153). 
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(15) VETERAN.—The term ‘‘veteran’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 101 of title 38, 
United States Code. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) a broadband service connection and digital 
literacy are increasingly critical to how individuals— 
(A) participate in the society, economy, 
and civic institutions of the United States; and 
(B) access healthcare and essential serv-
ices, obtain education, and build careers; 
(2) digital exclusion— 
(A) carries a high societal and economic 
cost; 
(B) materially harms the opportunity of an 
individual with respect to the economic success, 
educational achievement, positive health out-
comes, social inclusion, and civic engagement of 
that individual; 
(C) materially harms the opportunity of 
areas where it is especially widespread with re-
spect to economic success, educational achieve-
ment, positive health outcomes, social cohesion, 
and civic institutions; and 
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(D) exacerbates existing wealth and income 
gaps, especially those experienced by covered 
populations and between regions; 
(3) achieving accessible and affordable access to 
broadband service, as well as digital literacy, for all 
people of the United States requires additional and 
sustained research efforts and investment; 
(4) the Federal Government, as well as State, 
Tribal, and local governments, have made social, 
legal, and economic obligations that necessarily ex-
tend to how the citizens and residents of those gov-
ernments access and use the internet; and 
(5) achieving accessible and affordable access to 
broadband service is a matter of social and economic 
justice and is worth pursuing. 
(b) BROADBAND SERVICE DEFINED.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘‘broadband service’’ has the meaning given 
the term ‘‘broadband internet access service’’ in section 
8.1(b) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any 
successor regulation. 
SEC. 4. SEVERABILITY. 
If any provision of this Act, an amendment made by 
this Act, or the application of such provision or amend-
ment to any person or circumstance is held to be invalid, 
the remainder of this Act and the amendments made by 
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this Act, and the application of such provision or amend-
ment to any other person or circumstance, shall not be 
affected thereby. 
TITLE I—DIGITAL EQUITY 
SEC. 1000. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title: 
(1) ADOPTION OF BROADBAND SERVICE.—The 
term ‘‘adoption of broadband service’’ means the 
process by which an individual obtains daily access 
to broadband service— 
(A) with a download speed of at least 25 
megabits per second, an upload speed of at 
least 3 megabits per second, and a latency that 
is sufficiently low to allow real-time, interactive 
applications; 
(B) with the digital skills that are nec-
essary for the individual to participate online; 
and 
(C) on a— 
(i) personal device; and 
(ii) secure and convenient network. 
(2) ANCHOR INSTITUTION.—The term ‘‘anchor 
institution’’ means a public or private school, a li-
brary, a medical or healthcare provider, a museum, 
a public safety entity, a public housing agency, a 
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community college, an institution of higher edu-
cation, a religious organization, or any other com-
munity support organization or agency. 
(3) ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—Except in section 
1101, the term ‘‘Assistant Secretary’’ means the As-
sistant Secretary, acting through the Office. 
(4) 
BROADBAND
SERVICE.—The 
term 
‘‘broadband service’’ has the meaning given the term 
‘‘broadband internet access service’’ in section 8.1(b) 
of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any suc-
cessor regulation. 
(5) COVERED PROGRAMS.—The term ‘‘covered 
programs’’ means the State Digital Equity Capacity 
Grant Program established under section 1201 and 
the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program es-
tablished under section 1202. 
(6) DIGITAL EQUITY.—The term ‘‘digital eq-
uity’’ means the condition in which individuals and 
communities have the information technology capac-
ity that is needed for full participation in the society 
and economy of the United States. 
(7) DIGITAL INCLUSION ACTIVITIES.—The term 
‘‘digital inclusion activities’’— 
(A) means the activities that are necessary 
to ensure that all individuals in the United 
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States have access to, and the use of, affordable 
information and communication technologies, 
such as— 
(i) reliable broadband service; 
(ii) internet-enabled devices that meet 
the needs of the user; and 
(iii) applications and online content 
designed to enable and encourage self-suf-
ficiency, participation, and collaboration; 
and 
(B) includes— 
(i) the provision of digital literacy 
training; 
(ii) the provision of quality technical 
support; and 
(iii) promoting basic awareness of 
measures to ensure online privacy and cy-
bersecurity. 
(8) ELIGIBLE
STATE.—The term ‘‘eligible 
State’’ means— 
(A) with respect to planning grants made 
available under section 1201(c)(3), a State with 
respect to which the Assistant Secretary has 
approved an application submitted to the As-
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sistant Secretary under section 1201(c)(3)(C); 
and 
(B) with respect to capacity grants award-
ed under section 1201(d), a State with respect 
to which the Assistant Secretary has approved 
an application submitted to the Assistant Sec-
retary under section 1201(d)(2), including ap-
proval of the State Digital Equity Plan devel-
oped by the State under section 1201(c). 
(9) FEDERAL
BROADBAND
SERVICE
SUPPORT 
PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Federal broadband service 
support program’’ does not include any Universal 
Service Fund program and means any of the fol-
lowing programs (or any other similar Federal pro-
gram) to the extent the program offers broadband 
service or programs for promoting access to 
broadband service and adoption of broadband service 
for various demographic communities through var-
ious media for residential, commercial, or community 
providers or anchor institutions: 
(A) The Telecommunications and Tech-
nology Program of the Appalachian Regional 
Commission. 
(B) The Telecommunications Infrastruc-
ture Loans and Loan Guarantees, the Rural 
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Broadband Access Loans and Loan Guarantees, 
the Substantially Underserved Trust Areas Pro-
visions, the Community Connect Grant Pro-
gram, and the Distance Learning and Tele-
medicine Grant Program of the Rural Utilities 
Service of the Department of Agriculture. 
(C) The Public Works and Economic Ad-
justment Assistance Programs and the Plan-
ning and Local Technical Assistance Programs 
of the Economic Development Administration of 
the Department of Commerce. 
(D) The Community Development Block 
Grants and Section 108 Loan Guarantees, the 
Funds for Public Housing Authorities: Capital 
Fund and Operating Fund, the Multifamily 
Housing, the Indian Community Development 
Block Grant Program, the Indian Housing 
Block Grant Program, the Title VI Loan Guar-
antee Program, Choice Neighborhoods, the 
HOME Investment Partnerships Program, the 
Housing Trust Fund, and the Housing Oppor-
tunities for Persons with AIDS of the Depart-
ment of Housing and Urban Development. 
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(E) The American Job Centers of the Em-
ployment and Training Administration of the 
Department of Labor. 
(F) The Library Services and Technology 
Grant Programs of the Institute of Museum 
and Library Services. 
(G) The State Digital Equity Capacity 
Grant Program established under section 1201. 
(H) The Digital Equity Competitive Grant 
Program established under section 1202. 
(I) The program established under section 
723 of the Communications Act of 1934 (relat-
ing to expansion of access to broadband service 
for unserved areas, areas with low-tier service, 
areas with mid-tier service, and unserved an-
chor institutions), as added by section 3101. 
(J) The broadband infrastructure finance 
and innovation program established under sub-
title B of title III. 
(10) GENDER
IDENTITY.—The term ‘‘gender 
identity’’ has the meaning given the term in section 
249(c) of title 18, United States Code. 
(11) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term 
‘‘local educational agency’’ has the meaning given 
the term in section 8101(30) of the Elementary and 
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Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
7801(30)). 
(12) MEDICAID ENROLLEE.—The term ‘‘Med-
icaid enrollee’’ means, with respect to a State, an in-
dividual enrolled in the State plan under title XIX 
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) 
or a waiver of that plan. 
(13) 
NATIONAL
LIFELINE
ELIGIBILITY 
VERIFIER.—The term ‘‘National Lifeline Eligibility 
Verifier’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
54.400 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or 
any successor regulation). 
(14) OFFICE.—The term ‘‘Office’’ means the 
Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth estab-
lished pursuant to section 1101. 
(15) PUBLIC
HOUSING
AGENCY.—The term 
‘‘public housing agency’’ has the meaning given the 
term in section 3(b) of the United States Housing 
Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)). 
(16) SNAP PARTICIPANT.—The term ‘‘SNAP 
participant’’ means an individual who is a member 
of a household that participates in the supplemental 
nutrition assistance program under the Food and 
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.). 
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(17) SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVAN-
TAGED SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN.—The term ‘‘so-
cially and economically disadvantaged small business 
concern’’ has the meaning given the term in section 
8(a)(4) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
637(a)(4)). 
(18) TRIBALLY
DESIGNATED
ENTITY.—The 
term ‘‘tribally designated entity’’ means an entity 
designated by an Indian Tribe to carry out activities 
under this title. 
(19) UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND PROGRAM.— 
The term ‘‘Universal Service Fund program’’ means 
any program authorized under section 254 of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254), to 
the extent such program provides support for 
broadband service deployment. 
(20) UNIVERSAL
SERVICE
MECHANISM.—The 
term ‘‘universal service mechanism’’ means any 
funding stream provided by a Universal Service 
Fund program to support broadband service deploy-
ment. 
(21) WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.— 
The term ‘‘workforce development program’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 3 of the Work-
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force Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 
3102). 
Subtitle A—Office of Internet 
Connectivity and Growth 
SEC. 1101. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OFFICE OF INTERNET 
CONNECTIVITY AND GROWTH. 
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall establish 
the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth within the 
National Telecommunications and Information Adminis-
tration. 
SEC. 1102. DUTIES. 
(a) OUTREACH.—The Office shall— 
(1) connect with communities that need access 
to broadband service and improved digital inclusion 
activities through various forms of outreach and 
communication techniques; 
(2) hold regional workshops across the country 
to share best practices and effective strategies for 
promoting access to broadband service and adoption 
of broadband service; 
(3) develop targeted broadband service training 
and presentations for various demographic commu-
nities through various media; and 
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(4) develop and distribute publications (includ-
ing toolkits, primers, manuals, and white papers) 
providing guidance, strategies, and insights to com-
munities as the communities develop strategies to 
expand access to broadband service and adoption of 
broadband service. 
(b) TRACKING OF FEDERAL DOLLARS.— 
(1) BROADBAND SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE.— 
The Office shall track the construction and use of 
and access to any broadband service infrastructure 
built using any Federal support in a central data-
base. 
(2) ACCOUNTING
MECHANISM.—The Office 
shall develop a streamlined accounting mechanism 
by which any Federal agency offering a Federal 
broadband service support program, and the Com-
mission with respect to the Universal Service Fund 
programs, shall provide the information described in 
paragraph (1) in a standardized and efficient fash-
ion. 
(3) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and every year 
thereafter, the Office shall make public on the 
website of the Office and submit to the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce of the House of Rep-
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resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report 
on the following: 
(A) A description of the work of the Office 
for the previous year and the number of resi-
dents of the United States that received 
broadband 
service 
as 
result 
of 
Federal 
broadband service support programs and the 
Universal Service Fund programs. 
(B) A description of how many residents of 
the United States were provided broadband 
service by which universal service mechanism or 
which Federal broadband service support pro-
gram. 
(C) An estimate of the economic impact of 
such broadband service deployment efforts on 
the local economy, including any effect on small 
businesses or jobs. 
(D) A description of any non-economic 
benefits of such broadband service deployment 
efforts, including any effect on civic engage-
ment. 
(c) STUDY
AND REPORT
ON AFFORDABILITY
OF 
ADOPTION OF BROADBAND SERVICE.— 
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(1) STUDY.—The Office, in consultation with 
the Commission, the Department of Agriculture, the 
Department of the Treasury, and such other Federal 
agencies as the Office considers appropriate, shall, 
not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, and biennially thereafter, conduct a 
study that examines the following: 
(A) The number of households for which 
cost is a barrier to the adoption of broadband 
service, the financial circumstances of such 
households, and whether such households are 
eligible for the broadband benefit under section 
1301. 
(B) The extent to which the cost of adop-
tion of broadband service is a financial burden 
to households that have adopted broadband 
service, the financial circumstances of such fi-
nancially burdened households, and whether 
such households are receiving the broadband 
benefit under section 1301. 
(C) The appropriate standard to determine 
whether adoption of broadband service is af-
fordable for households, given the financial cir-
cumstances of such households. 
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(D) The feasibility of providing additional 
Federal subsidies, including expanding the eligi-
bility for or increasing the amount of the 
broadband benefit under section 1301, to 
households to cover the difference between the 
cost of adoption of broadband service (deter-
mined before applying such additional Federal 
subsidies) and the price at which adoption of 
broadband service would be affordable. 
(E) How a program to provide additional 
Federal subsidies as described in subparagraph 
(D) should be administered to most effectively 
facilitate adoption of broadband service at the 
lowest overall expense to the Federal Govern-
ment, including measures that would ensure 
that the availability of the subsidies does not 
result in providers raising the price of 
broadband service for households receiving sub-
sidies. 
(F) How participation in the Lifeline pro-
gram of the Commission has changed in the 5 
years prior to the date of the enactment of this 
Act, including— 
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(i) geographic information at the cen-
sus-block level depicting the scale of 
change in participation in each area; and 
(ii) information on changes in partici-
pation by specific types of Lifeline-sup-
ported services, including fixed voice te-
lephony service, mobile voice telephony 
service, fixed broadband service, and mo-
bile broadband service and, in the case of 
any Lifeline-supported services provided as 
part of a bundle of services to which a 
Lifeline discount is applied, which Lifeline- 
supported services are part of such bundle 
and whether or not each Lifeline-supported 
service in such bundle meets Lifeline min-
imum service standards. 
(G) How competition impacts the price of 
broadband service. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and biennially 
thereafter, the Office shall submit to Congress a re-
port on the results of the study conducted under 
paragraph (1). 
(3) COST
DEFINED.—In this subsection, the 
term ‘‘cost’’ means, with respect to adoption of 
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broadband service, the cost of adoption of broadband 
service to a household after applying any subsidies 
that reduce such cost. 
SEC. 1103. STREAMLINED APPLICATIONS FOR SUPPORT. 
(a) FEDERAL AGENCY CONSULTATION.—The Office 
shall consult with any Federal agency offering a Federal 
broadband service support program to streamline and 
standardize the application process for financial assistance 
for such program. 
(b) FEDERAL AGENCY STREAMLINING.—Any Fed-
eral agency offering a Federal broadband service support 
program shall amend the applications of such agency for 
broadband service support, to the extent practicable and 
as necessary, to streamline and standardize applications 
for Federal broadband service support programs across 
the Government. 
(c) SINGLE APPLICATION.—To the greatest extent 
practicable, the Office shall seek to create one application 
that may be submitted to apply for all, or substantially 
all, Federal broadband service support programs. 
(d) WEBSITE REQUIRED.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Office shall 
create a central website through which potential applicants 
can learn about and apply for support through any Fed-
eral broadband service support program. 
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SEC. 1104. COORDINATION OF SUPPORT. 
The Office, any Federal agency that offers a Federal 
broadband service support program, and the Commission 
with respect to the Universal Service Fund programs shall 
coordinate to ensure that support is being distributed in 
an efficient, technology-neutral, and financially sustain-
able manner, with the goals of achieving universal access 
to affordable broadband service and promoting the most 
job and economic growth for all residents of the United 
States. 
SEC. 1105. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 
Nothing in this subtitle is intended to alter or amend 
any provision of section 254 of the Communications Act 
of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254). 
SEC. 1106. FUNDING. 
(a) APPROPRIATION.—There are appropriated to the 
Assistant Secretary, out of any money in the Treasury not 
otherwise appropriated, $26,000,000 to carry out this sub-
title for fiscal year 2021, to remain available until ex-
pended. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Assistant Sec-
retary $26,000,000 to carry out this subtitle for fiscal year 
2022 and each fiscal year thereafter, to remain available 
until expended. 
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Subtitle B—Digital Equity 
Programs 
SEC. 1201. STATE DIGITAL EQUITY CAPACITY GRANT PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT; PURPOSE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary 
shall establish in the Office the State Digital Equity 
Capacity Grant Program (referred to in this section 
as the ‘‘Program’’)— 
(A) the purpose of which is to promote the 
achievement of digital equity, support digital in-
clusion activities, and build capacity for efforts 
by States relating to the adoption of broadband 
service by residents of those States; 
(B) through which the Assistant Secretary 
shall make grants to States in accordance with 
the requirements of this section; and 
(C) which shall ensure that States have the 
capacity to promote the achievement of digital 
equity and support digital inclusion activities. 
(2) CONSULTATION
WITH
OTHER
FEDERAL 
AGENCIES; NO CONFLICT.—In establishing the Pro-
gram under paragraph (1), the Assistant Secretary 
shall— 
(A) consult with— 
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(i) the Secretary of Agriculture; 
(ii) the Secretary of Housing and 
Urban Development; 
(iii) the Secretary of Education; 
(iv) the Secretary of Labor; 
(v) the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services; 
(vi) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; 
(vii) the Secretary of the Interior; 
(viii) the Assistant Secretary for In-
dian Affairs of the Department of the Inte-
rior; 
(ix) the Commission; 
(x) the Federal Trade Commission; 
(xi) the Director of the Institute of 
Museum and Library Services; 
(xii) the Administrator of the Small 
Business Administration; 
(xiii) the Federal Cochairman of the 
Appalachian Regional Commission; and 
(xiv) the head of any other Federal 
agency that the Assistant Secretary deter-
mines to be appropriate; and 
(B) ensure that the Program complements 
and enhances, and does not conflict with, other 
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Federal broadband service support programs 
and Universal Service Fund programs. 
(b) ADMINISTERING ENTITY.— 
(1) SELECTION; FUNCTION.—The Governor (or 
equivalent official) of a State that wishes to be 
awarded a grant under this section shall, from 
among entities that are eligible under paragraph (2), 
select an administering entity for that State, which 
shall— 
(A) serve as the recipient of, and admin-
istering agent for, any grant awarded to the 
State under this section; 
(B) develop, implement, and oversee the 
State Digital Equity Plan for the State de-
scribed in subsection (c); 
(C) make subgrants to any of the entities 
described in clauses (i) through (xi) of sub-
section (c)(1)(D) that is located in the State in 
support of— 
(i) the State Digital Equity Plan for 
the State; and 
(ii) digital inclusion activities in the 
State generally; and 
(D) serve as— 
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(i) an advocate for digital equity poli-
cies and digital inclusion activities; and 
(ii) a repository of best practice mate-
rials regarding the policies and activities 
described in clause (i). 
(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—Any of the following 
entities may serve as the administering entity for a 
State for the purposes of this section if the entity 
has demonstrated a capacity to administer the Pro-
gram on a statewide level: 
(A) The State. 
(B) A political subdivision, agency, or in-
strumentality of the State. 
(C) An Indian Tribe located in the State, 
a tribally designated entity located in the State, 
or a Native Hawaiian organization located in 
the State. 
(c) STATE DIGITAL EQUITY PLAN.— 
(1) DEVELOPMENT; CONTENTS.—A State that 
wishes to be awarded a grant under subsection (d) 
shall develop a State Digital Equity Plan for the 
State, which shall include— 
(A) an identification of the barriers to dig-
ital equity faced by covered populations in the 
State; 
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(B) measurable objectives for documenting 
and promoting, among each group described in 
subparagraphs (A) through (H) of section 2(6) 
located in that State— 
(i) the availability of, and affordability 
of access to, broadband service and tech-
nology needed for the use of broadband 
service; 
(ii) public awareness of such avail-
ability and affordability and of subsidies 
available to increase such affordability (in-
cluding subsidies available through the 
Lifeline program of the Commission), in-
cluding objectives to— 
(I) inform Medicaid enrollees and 
SNAP participants, and organizations 
that serve Medicaid enrollees and 
SNAP participants, of potential eligi-
bility for the Lifeline program; and 
(II) provide Medicaid enrollees 
and SNAP participants with informa-
tion about the Lifeline program, in-
cluding— 
(aa) how to apply for the 
Lifeline program; and 
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(bb) a description of the 
prohibition on more than one 
subscriber in each household re-
ceiving a service provided under 
the Lifeline program; 
(iii) 
the 
online 
accessibility 
and 
inclusivity of public resources and services; 
(iv) digital literacy; 
(v) awareness of, and the use of, 
measures to secure the online privacy of, 
and cybersecurity with respect to, an indi-
vidual; and 
(vi) the availability and affordability 
of consumer devices and technical support 
for those devices; 
(C) an assessment of how the objectives 
described in subparagraph (B) will impact and 
interact with the State’s— 
(i) economic and workforce develop-
ment goals, plans, and outcomes; 
(ii) educational outcomes; 
(iii) health outcomes; 
(iv) civic and social engagement; and 
(v) delivery of other essential services; 
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(D) in order to achieve the objectives de-
scribed in subparagraph (B), a description of 
how the State plans to collaborate with key 
stakeholders in the State, which may include— 
(i) anchor institutions; 
(ii) county and municipal govern-
ments; 
(iii) local educational agencies; 
(iv) where applicable, Indian Tribes, 
tribally designated entities, or Native Ha-
waiian organizations; 
(v) nonprofit organizations; 
(vi) organizations that represent— 
(I) individuals with disabilities, 
including organizations that represent 
children with disabilities; 
(II) aging individuals; 
(III) individuals with a language 
barrier, including individuals who— 
(aa) are English learners; or 
(bb) have low levels of lit-
eracy; 
(IV) veterans; 
(V) individuals residing in rural 
areas; and 
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(VI) incarcerated individuals in 
that State, other than individuals who 
are incarcerated in a Federal correc-
tional facility (including a private fa-
cility operated under contract with the 
Federal Government); 
(vii) civil rights organizations; 
(viii) entities that carry out workforce 
development programs; 
(ix) agencies of the State that are re-
sponsible for administering or supervising 
adult education and literacy activities in 
the State; 
(x) public housing agencies whose ju-
risdictions are located in the State; and 
(xi) a consortium of any of the enti-
ties described in clauses (i) through (x); 
and 
(E) a list of organizations with which the 
administering entity for the State collaborated 
in developing and implementing the Plan. 
(2) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The administering enti-
ty for a State shall make the State Digital Eq-
uity Plan of the State available for public com-
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ment for a period of not less than 30 days be-
fore the date on which the State submits an ap-
plication to the Assistant Secretary under sub-
section (d)(2). 
(B) CONSIDERATION
OF
COMMENTS
RE-
CEIVED.—The administering entity for a State 
shall, with respect to an application submitted 
to the Assistant Secretary under subsection 
(d)(2)— 
(i) before submitting the application— 
(I) consider all comments re-
ceived during the comment period de-
scribed in subparagraph (A) with re-
spect to the application (referred to in 
this subparagraph as the ‘‘comment 
period’’); and 
(II) make any changes to the 
plan that the administering entity de-
termines to be appropriate; and 
(ii) when submitting the application— 
(I) describe any changes pursued 
by the administering entity in re-
sponse to comments received during 
the comment period; and 
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(II) include a written response to 
each comment received during the 
comment period. 
(3) PLANNING GRANTS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Beginning in the first 
fiscal year that begins after the date of the en-
actment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary 
shall, in accordance with the requirements of 
this paragraph, award planning grants to 
States for the purpose of developing the State 
Digital Equity Plans of those States under this 
subsection. 
(B) ELIGIBILITY.—In order to be awarded 
a planning grant under this paragraph, a 
State— 
(i) shall submit to the Assistant Sec-
retary an application under subparagraph 
(C); and 
(ii) may not have been awarded, at 
any time, a planning grant under this 
paragraph. 
(C) APPLICATION.—A State that wishes to 
be awarded a planning grant under this para-
graph shall, not later than 60 days after the 
date on which the notice of funding availability 
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with respect to the grant is released, submit to 
the Assistant Secretary an application, in a for-
mat to be determined by the Assistant Sec-
retary, that contains the following materials: 
(i) A description of the entity selected 
to serve as the administering entity for the 
State, as described in subsection (b). 
(ii) A certification from the State 
that, not later than 1 year after the date 
on which the Assistant Secretary awards 
the planning grant to the State, the ad-
ministering entity for that State will sub-
mit to the Assistant Secretary a State Dig-
ital Equity Plan developed under this sub-
section, which will comply with the require-
ments of this subsection, including the re-
quirements of paragraph (2). 
(iii) The assurances required under 
subsection (e). 
(D) AWARDS.— 
(i) AMOUNT OF GRANT.—The amount 
of a planning grant awarded to an eligible 
State under this paragraph shall be deter-
mined according to the formula under sub-
section (d)(3)(A)(i). 
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(ii) DURATION.— 
(I) IN GENERAL.—Except as pro-
vided in subclause (II), with respect to 
a planning grant awarded to an eligi-
ble State under this paragraph, the 
State shall expend the grant funds 
during the 1-year period beginning on 
the date on which the State is award-
ed the grant funds. 
(II) EXCEPTION.—The Assistant 
Secretary may grant an extension of 
not longer than 180 days with respect 
to the requirement under subclause 
(I). 
(iii) CHALLENGE
MECHANISM.—The 
Assistant Secretary shall ensure that any 
eligible State to which a planning grant is 
awarded under this paragraph may appeal 
or otherwise challenge in a timely fashion 
the amount of the grant awarded to the 
State, as determined under clause (i). 
(E) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible State to 
which a planning grant is awarded under this 
paragraph shall, through the administering en-
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tity for that State, use the grant funds only for 
the following purposes: 
(i) To develop the State Digital Eq-
uity Plan of the State under this sub-
section. 
(ii)(I) Subject to subclause (II), to 
make subgrants to any of the entities de-
scribed in clauses (i) through (xi) of para-
graph (1)(D) to assist in the development 
of the State Digital Equity Plan of the 
State under this subsection. 
(II) If the administering entity for a 
State makes a subgrant described in sub-
clause (I), the administering entity shall, 
with respect to the subgrant, provide to the 
State the assurances required under sub-
section (e). 
(d) STATE CAPACITY GRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Beginning not later than 2 
years after the date on which the Assistant Sec-
retary begins awarding planning grants under sub-
section (c)(3), the Assistant Secretary shall each 
year award grants to eligible States to support— 
(A) the implementation of the State Dig-
ital Equity Plans of those States; and 
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(B) digital inclusion activities in those 
States. 
(2) APPLICATION.—A State that wishes to be 
awarded a grant under this subsection shall, not 
later than 60 days after the date on which the notice 
of funding availability with respect to the grant is 
released, submit to the Assistant Secretary an appli-
cation, in a format to be determined by the Assist-
ant Secretary, that contains the following materials: 
(A) A description of the entity selected to 
serve as the administering entity for the State, 
as described in subsection (b). 
(B) The State Digital Equity Plan of that 
State, as described in subsection (c). 
(C) A certification that the State, acting 
through the administering entity for the State, 
shall— 
(i) implement the State Digital Equity 
Plan of the State; and 
(ii) make grants in a manner that is 
consistent with the aims of the Plan de-
scribed in clause (i). 
(D) The assurances required under sub-
section (e). 
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(E) In the case of a State to which the As-
sistant Secretary has previously awarded a 
grant under this subsection, any amendments 
to the State Digital Equity Plan of that State, 
as compared with the State Digital Equity Plan 
of the State previously submitted. 
(3) AWARDS.— 
(A) AMOUNT OF GRANT.— 
(i) FORMULA.—Subject to clauses (ii), 
(iii), and (iv), the Assistant Secretary shall 
calculate the amount of a grant awarded to 
an eligible State under this subsection in 
accordance with the following criteria, 
using the best available data for all States 
for the fiscal year in which the grant is 
awarded: 
(I) 50 percent of the total grant 
amount shall be based on the popu-
lation of the eligible State in propor-
tion to the total population of all eligi-
ble States. 
(II) 25 percent of the total grant 
amount shall be based on the number 
of individuals in the eligible State who 
are members of covered populations in 
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proportion to the total number of indi-
viduals in all eligible States who are 
members of covered populations. 
(III) 25 percent of the total 
grant amount shall be based on the 
lack of availability of broadband serv-
ice and lack of adoption of broadband 
service in the eligible State in propor-
tion to the lack of availability of 
broadband service and lack of adop-
tion of broadband service in all eligi-
ble States, which shall be determined 
according to data collected— 
(aa) from the annual inquiry 
of the Commission conducted 
under section 706(b) of the Tele-
communications Act of 1996 (47 
U.S.C. 1302(b)); 
(bb) from the American 
Community Survey or, if nec-
essary, other data collected by 
the Bureau of the Census; 
(cc) from the Internet and 
Computer Use Supplement to the 
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