A bill to amend the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 to authorize additional funds for the Emergency Broadband Connectivity Fund, to provide grants to States and Tribal Entities to strengthen the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier, to provide for Federal coordination between the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier and the National Accuracy Clearinghouse, and for other purposes.
Bill: S.979 | Sponsor: Sen. Wyden, Ron (D-OR)
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
This bill makes changes to facilitate data sharing between the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and programs that subsidize communication services to verify eligibility for applicable programs.
Specifically, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must award grants to states and tribes for establishing or modifying connections between databases with information regarding benefit programs (e.g., SNAP) and the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier to verify eligibility for the Lifeline program (which subsidizes telephone and internet services for low-income individuals) and the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (which subsidizes broadband services for those who suffered income loss during the COVID-19 pandemic and other eligible households). The bill also reauthorizes through FY2026 the fund that supports the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program.
In addition, the FCC must establish an automated connection to share data between the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier and the National Accuracy Clearinghouse for SNAP. The FCC must coordinate with the Department of Agriculture to establish the connection.

To amend the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 to authorize 
  additional funds for the Emergency Broadband Connectivity Fund, to 
provide grants to States and Tribal entities to strengthen the National 
  Lifeline Eligibility Verifier, to provide for Federal coordination 
  between the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier and the National 
            Accuracy Clearinghouse, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. AUTHORIZATION FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE EMERGENCY 
              BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY FUND.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Emergency Broadband 
Connectivity Fund established under subsection (i) of section 904 of 
title IX of division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 
(Public Law 116-260) $6,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2022 for the 
purposes described in paragraph (3) of such subsection, and such amount 
is authorized to remain available until fiscal year 2026.

SEC. 2. GRANTS TO STATES TO STRENGTHEN NATIONAL LIFELINE ELIGIBILITY 
              VERIFIER.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 45 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall establish a program to 
provide a grant, from amounts appropriated under subsection (d), to 
each eligible entity for the purpose described under subsection (b).
    (b) Purpose.--The Commission shall make a grant to each eligible 
entity for the purpose of establishing or amending a connection between 
the databases of such entity that contain information concerning the 
receipt by a household, or a member of a household, of benefits under a 
program administered by such entity (including any benefit provided 
under the supplemental nutrition assistance program under the Food and 
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.)) and the National 
Lifeline Eligibility Verifier so that the receipt by a household, or a 
member of a household, of benefits under such benefits program--
            (1) is reflected in the National Lifeline Eligibility 
        Verifier; and
            (2) can be used to verify eligibility for--
                    (A) the Lifeline program established under subpart 
                E, part 54, of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations 
                (or any successor regulation); and
                    (B) the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program 
                established under section 904(b) of title IX of 
                division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 
                (Public Law 116-260).
    (c) Disbursement of Grant Funds.--Not later than 60 days after the 
program established under subsection (a) is established, funds provided 
under each grant made under such subsection shall be disbursed to the 
entity receiving such grant.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriation.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2022 for the purposes of 
carrying out this section, and such amount is authorized to remain 
available until fiscal year 2026.
    (e) Eligible Entities.--In this section, the term ``eligible 
entity'' means an entity that--
            (1) is a State or Tribal entity; and
            (2) not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment 
        of this Act, submits to the Commission an application 
        containing such information as the Commission may require.

SEC. 3. FEDERAL COORDINATION BETWEEN NATIONAL ELIGIBILITY VERIFIER AND 
              NATIONAL ACCURACY CLEARINGHOUSE.

    Notwithstanding section 11(x)(2)(C)(i) of the Food and Nutrition 
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020(x)(2)(C)(i)), not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall, in 
coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture, establish an automated 
connection, to the maximum extent practicable, between the National 
Lifeline Eligibility Verifier and the National Accuracy Clearinghouse 
established under section 11(x) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 
(7 U.S.C. 2020(x)) for the supplemental nutrition assistance program.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Automated connection.--The term ``automated 
        connection'' means a connection between two or more information 
        systems where the manual input of information in one system 
        leads to the automatic input of the same information into any 
        other connected system.
            (2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Communications Commission.
            (3) 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).
            (4) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
        153).
            (5) Tribal entity.--The term ``Tribal entity'' means any of 
        the following:
                    (A) The governing body of any Indian or Alaska 
                Native Tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, community, 
                component band, or component reservation, individually 
                recognized (including parenthetically) in the list 
                published most recently as of the date of enactment of 
                this Act pursuant to section 104 of the Federally 
                Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 
                5131).
                    (B) The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.
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