Home Internet Accessibility Act
Bill: H.R.8778 | Sponsor: Rep. Williams, Nikema (D-GA)
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Home Internet Accessibility Act
This bill requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on broadband internet capacity in housing that is supported by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or the Department of Agriculture.
In its report, the GAO must identify such housing that lacks broadband capacity and estimate the costs and time frame necessary to provide broadband capacity in such housing.
Additionally, HUD must develop a plan for retrofitting such housing to provide the capacity for broadband internet.

To require the Comptroller General to submit to Congress a report on 
    the capacity of Federally-assisted housing to support broadband 
                    service, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Home Internet Accessibility Act''.

SEC. 2. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT ON THE CAPACITY OF FEDERALLY-
              ASSISTED HOUSING TO SUPPORT BROADBAND SERVICE.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall submit to Congress a report on the capacity of Federally-assisted 
housing to support broadband service.
    (b) Contents.--The report required under subsection (a) shall 
include--
            (1) an analysis that identifies which Federally-assisted 
        housing has access to broadband service and which such housing 
        does not have access to broadband service, disaggregated by 
        State, congressional district, ZIP Code, and census tract, that 
        includes demographic information and any Federal agency 
        responsible for such housing;
            (2) an analysis of which such housing does not currently 
        have the capacity to support broadband service deployment and 
        would require retrofitting to support broadband service 
        deployment, disaggregated by State, congressional district, ZIP 
        Code, and census tract, that includes demographic information 
        and any Federal agency responsible for such housing;
            (3) an analysis of the estimated costs and timeframe 
        necessary for all Federally-assisted housing to have the 
        capacity to support broadband service;
            (4) an analysis of the challenges to more widespread 
        deployment of broadband service, including the comparative 
        market dynamics to expansion in rural areas and low-income 
        urban and suburban areas, and the challenges to pursuing 
        retrofits for all Federally-assisted housing to have the 
        capacity to support broadband service;
            (5) descriptions of lessons learned from previous 
        retrofitting actions;
            (6) an evaluation of the ConnectHome pilot program of the 
        Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; and
            (7) recommendations for Congress to allow for all 
        Federally-assisted housing to have the capacity to support 
        broadband service under a range of specific projected 
        timelines.

SEC. 3. PLAN FOR BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY IN FEDERALLY-ASSISTED HOUSING.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in 
consultation with the Comptroller General and other relevant heads of 
Federal agencies, shall--
            (1) develop a plan for retrofitting Federally-assisted 
        housing, as necessary, to support broadband service; and
            (2) submit such plan to the Congress not later than 18 
        months after the date of the enactment of this Act.
    (b) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) 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 successor regulation.
            (2) Federally-assisted housing.--The term ``Federally-
        assisted housing'' means any dwelling that constitutes or 
        contains a housing unit that is assisted under a program 
        administered by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
        or the Secretary of Agriculture.
            (3) State.--The term ``State'' means each State of the 
        United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the 
        Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of 
        the Northern Mariana Islands.
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