HOTSPOTS Act
Bill: S.698 | Sponsor: Sen. Manchin, Joe, III (D-WV)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Hotspots and Online Technology and Services Procurement for Our Tribes and States Act or the HOTSPOTS Act
This bill establishes a two-year pilot program through which the Institute of Museum and Library Services must award grants to states, territories, Indian tribes, and organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians to purchase and distribute internet-connected devices to libraries in rural and low-income areas.

To establish a pilot program through which the Institute of Museum and 
 Library Services shall allocate funds to States for the provision of 
                internet-connected devices to libraries.

    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 ``Hotspots and Online Technology and 
Services Procurement for Our Tribes and States Act'' or the ``HOTSPOTS 
Act''.

SEC. 2. INTERNET HOTSPOT PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``library'', 
``State'', and ``State library administrative agency'' have the 
meanings given those terms in section 213 of the Museum and Library 
Services Act (20 U.S.C. 9122).
    (b) Pilot Program.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 21 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Director of the Institute of Museum 
        and Library Services (referred to in this section as the 
        ``Director'') shall establish a 2-year pilot program, through 
        which the Director shall--
                    (A) reserve 2.5 percent of the amounts appropriated 
                to carry out this section to make grants to Indian 
                Tribes and to organizations that primarily serve and 
                represent Native Hawaiians (as the term is defined in 
                section 6207 of the Native Hawaiian Education Act (20 
                U.S.C. 7517)) to enable such Tribes and organizations 
                to carry out the activities described in subsection 
                (e); and
                    (B) allocate grant funds to States in accordance 
                with paragraph (2) to enable States, through the State 
                library administrative agency, as appropriate, to carry 
                out the activities described in subsection (e).
            (2) Allotments to states.--
                    (A) Minimum allotments.--
                            (i) In general.--For purposes of this 
                        paragraph, the minimum allotment for each State 
                        shall be $2,000,000, except that the minimum 
                        allotment shall be $200,000 in the case of the 
                        United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American 
                        Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
                        Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, 
                        the Federated States of Micronesia, and the 
                        Republic of Palau.
                            (ii) Ratable reduction.--Notwithstanding 
                        clause (i), if the sum appropriated to carry 
                        out this section is insufficient to fully 
                        satisfy the requirement of clause (i), each of 
                        the minimum allotments under such clause shall 
                        be reduced ratably.
                    (B) Remainder.--
                            (i) In general.--From the remainder of any 
                        sums made available to carry out this section 
                        and not reserved or allotted under subparagraph 
                        (A), the Director shall award grants to each 
                        State in an amount that bears the same relation 
                        to such remainder as the population of the 
                        State bears to the population of all States.
                            (ii) Data.--The population of each State 
                        and of all the States shall be determined by 
                        the Director on the basis of the most recent 
                        data available from the Bureau of the Census.
    (c) Grants, Contracts, or Cooperative Agreements.--From amounts 
appropriated under subsection (f), $2,000,000 shall be made available 
for the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services for 
grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements with Federal agencies, 
public and private organizations, and other entities determined to be 
eligible by the Director to enable those agencies, organizations, and 
entities to carry out the activities described in subsection (e).
    (d) Grants for Indian Tribes.--An Indian Tribe or organization 
described in subsection (b)(1)(A) that is eligible for support under 
section 261 of the Library Services and Technology Act (20 U.S.C. 9161) 
may designate a Tribal library or Tribal library consortium as a 
library or consortium that is eligible for grant funds under this 
section, without regard to whether the library or library consortium is 
eligible for assistance from a State Library Administrative Agency 
under the Library Services and Technology Act (20 U.S.C. 9121 et seq.), 
if the library or library consortium is eligible for support from an 
Indian Tribe or organization described in subsection (b)(1)(A) under 
such section 261.
    (e) Use of Grant Funds.--Each State, Indian Tribe, or other entity 
receiving a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under this 
section shall use funding under this section to--
            (1) expand digital network access by purchasing and 
        distributing internet-connected devices, such as hotspots, to 
        libraries in low-income and rural areas so that those libraries 
        can--
                    (A) allow individuals to borrow internet-connected 
                devices for home use; and
                    (B) install or upgrade public Wi-Fi access points 
                for use on or near library grounds, including modems, 
                routers, items that combine a modem and a router, and 
                other equipment that might be needed to support 
                increased broadband capacity;
            (2) provide libraries with funds to pay the other expenses 
        associated with such devices and related services, such as 
        processing, training, associated connectivity, hardware and 
        support, and other necessary expenses related to the retention 
        of these devices and provision of these services; or
            (3) encourage existing and new partnerships between State 
        and local governments, libraries, nonprofit entities, agencies 
        including the Federal Communications Commission, and 
        telecommunication, broadband, and internet service providers to 
        coordinate the distribution of hotspots and other internet-
        connected devices and services.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $200,000,000.
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