I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6534 
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 17, 2020 
Mr. FOSTER (for himself, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Ms. NORTON, Ms. SE-
WELL of Alabama, Mr. RUSH, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. NEGUSE, Mrs. LEE 
of Nevada, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Ms. BONAMICI, 
Mrs. HAYES, Mr. HECK, Ms. DEAN, Mrs. AXNE, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mrs. 
BEATTY, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, and Mr. GREEN of Texas) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Serv-
ices 
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 2020’’. 
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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 allow-
ance 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 
allowance 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 serv-
ice. 
‘‘(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 
subparagraph (A)(i); or 
‘‘(ii) any joint package for internet 
service together with cable or satellite tele-
vision service or telephone service, or both. 
‘‘(C) QUALIFIED
FAMILIES.—Costs for 
high-speed internet service may be included in 
a utility allowance only for a household that in-
curs such costs and includes children who qual-
ify for free and reduced price lunch pursuant to 
section 9 of the Richard 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 allowance 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 de-
pictions described in section 254(h)(5)(B)(i) of 
the Communications Act of 1937 (47 U.S.C. 
254(h)(5)(B)(i)) that provides a level of protec-
tion against access by minors to such depictions 
through the internet that is at least as great as 
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the level of protection provided by a technology 
protection measure (as such term is defined in 
paragraph (7) of such section 254(h)) that 
meets the requirements for certification under 
such paragraph, as determined by the Sec-
retary.’’. 
Æ 
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