Keeping Critical Connections Act of 2021
Bill: S.608 | Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy (D-MN)
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Keeping Critical Connections Act of 2021
This bill provides funds with which the Federal Communications Commission shall reimburse small business broadband providers for costs incurred during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency period to voluntarily (1) provide free or discounted service to students in need of distance learning capacity, or (2) refrain from disconnecting low-income households that cannot afford to make a full payment.

To help small business broadband providers keep customers connected.

    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 ``Keeping Critical Connections Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. KEEPING CRITICAL CONNECTIONS EMERGENCY FUND.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section--
            (1) the term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Communications Commission;
            (2) the term ``covered program'' means a program 
        established by a small business broadband provider under which 
        the small business broadband provider, at any time during the 
        COVID-19 emergency period, voluntarily--
                    (A) provides a customer with free or discounted 
                broadband service, or free upgrades of existing service 
                to meet certain capacity and speed needs, due 
                specifically to the presence of a student in the 
                household of the customer who needs distance learning 
                capability; or
                    (B) refrains from disconnecting broadband service 
                provided to an existing customer due to nonpayment or 
                underpayment if the customer--
                            (i) has a household income, at the time of 
                        the nonpayment or underpayment, that does not 
                        exceed 135 percent of the Federal poverty 
                        guidelines (as determined by the Secretary of 
                        Health and Human Services);
                            (ii) is unable to make a full payment due 
                        specifically to the economic impact of the 
                        national emergency described in paragraph (3); 
                        and
                            (iii) provides sufficient documentation to 
                        the provider to show that the customer meets 
                        the criteria under clauses (i) and (ii);
            (3) the term ``COVID-19 emergency period'' means the period 
        during which the national emergency declaration by the 
        President under the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et 
        seq.) with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) 
        is in effect; and
            (4) the term ``small business broadband provider'' means a 
        broadband provider that provides broadband service to fewer 
        than 250,000 customers.
    (b) Funding.--
            (1) Appropriation.--Out of any funds in the Treasury not 
        otherwise appropriated, there is appropriated to the Commission 
        $2,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2021, to remain available until 
        expended, to reimburse small business broadband providers for 
        the costs of carrying out a covered program.
            (2) Rules.--The Commission shall promulgate rules on an 
        expedited basis, and without regard to section 553 of title 5, 
        United States Code, regarding the provision of reimbursements 
        to small business broadband providers under paragraph (1).
                                 <all>