Promoting Access to Broadband Act of 2021
Bill: S.1102 | Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. (D-IL)
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Promoting Access to Broadband Act of 2021
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a grant program to provide states with resources to inform their residents who are Medicaid enrollees, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants, or low-income individuals about the FCC's Lifeline program. The Lifeline program is designed to reduce the cost of communications services for low-income consumers.

To direct the Federal Communications Commission to establish a program 
      to make grants to States to inform Medicaid enrollees, SNAP 
participants, and low-income residents of potential eligibility for the 
                  Lifeline program of the Commission.

    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 ``Promoting Access to Broadband Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. LIFELINE ENROLLMENT OUTREACH GRANTS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Communications Commission.
            (2) Covered individuals.--The term ``covered individuals'' 
        means--
                    (A) Medicaid enrollees;
                    (B) SNAP participants; and
                    (C) low-income residents.
            (3) Eligible-but-not-enrolled.--The term ``eligible-but-
        not-enrolled'' means, with respect to an individual, that the 
        individual is eligible for the Lifeline program but is not 
        enrolled in the Lifeline program.
            (4) Lifeline program.--The term ``Lifeline program'' means 
        the Lifeline program of the Commission.
            (5) Low-income.--The term ``low-income'' means a gross 
        annual income at or below 135 percent of the Federal poverty 
        level.
            (6) Medicaid enrollee.--The term ``Medicaid enrollee'' 
        means, with respect to a State, an individual enrolled in the 
        State plan under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 
        U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) or a waiver of that plan.
            (7) Reach.--The term ``reach'' means, with respect to an 
        individual, to inform the individual of potential eligibility 
        for the Lifeline program and to provide the individual with 
        information about the Lifeline program, as described in 
        subsection (e).
            (8) SNAP participant.--The term ``SNAP participant'' means 
        an individual who is a member of a household that participates 
        in the supplemental nutrition assistance program under the Food 
        and Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.).
            (9) State.--The term ``State'' means each State of the 
        United States, the District of Columbia, each commonwealth, 
        territory, or possession of the United States, and each 
        federally recognized Indian Tribe.
    (b) Establishment.--The Commission shall establish a competitive 
program to make grants to States to inform covered individuals of 
potential eligibility for the Lifeline program.
    (c) Application.--
            (1) In general.--The Commission may only award a grant 
        under this section to a State that submits an application at 
        such time, in such form, and with such information and 
        assurances as the Commission may require.
            (2) Matters required to be included.--An application 
        submitted by a State under paragraph (1) shall include--
                    (A) the number of covered individuals in the State;
                    (B) a plan for the activities that the State will 
                conduct using grant funds, including a list of each 
                agency within the State that will assist in carrying 
                out those activities; and
                    (C) an estimate of the percentage of eligible-but-
                not-enrolled individuals in the State who will be 
                reached by those activities.
    (d) Selection.--
            (1) Minimum of 5 states.--The Commission shall award grants 
        under this section to not fewer than 5 States.
            (2) Factors for consideration.--In awarding grants under 
        this section, the Commission shall give favorable 
        consideration--
                    (A) to States that have higher numbers of covered 
                individuals; and
                    (B) to States proposing, in the plans submitted 
                under subsection (c)(2)(B), to conduct activities that 
                have the potential to reach higher percentages of 
                eligible-but-not-enrolled individuals in those States, 
                as determined by the Commission, taking into 
                consideration the estimates submitted under subsection 
                (c)(2)(C).
            (3) Geographic diversity.--In awarding grants under this 
        section, the Commission shall, to the maximum extent 
        practicable, select States from different geographic regions of 
        the United States.
    (e) Use of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--A State that receives a grant under this 
        section shall use grant funds, in accordance with the plan 
        included in the application of the State under subsection 
        (c)(2)(B), to--
                    (A) inform covered individuals and organizations or 
                agencies that serve those individuals, as the case may 
                be under the terms of the grant awarded to the State, 
                of potential eligibility for the Lifeline program;
                    (B) provide those covered individuals with 
                information about the Lifeline program, including--
                            (i) how to apply for the Lifeline program; 
                        and
                            (ii) a description of the prohibition on 
                        more than 1 subscriber in each household 
                        receiving a service provided under the Lifeline 
                        program; and
                    (C) partner with nonprofit and community-based 
                organizations to provide those covered individuals with 
                assistance applying for the Lifeline program and 
                information about product and technology choices.
            (2) Multiple state agencies.--A State that receives a grant 
        under this section may provide grant funds to 1 or more 
        agencies located within the State to carry out the activities 
        under the grant.
    (f) Outreach to States Regarding Grant Program.--Before accepting 
applications for the grant program established under this section, the 
Commission shall conduct outreach to States to ensure that States are 
aware of the grant program and how to apply for a grant under the grant 
program.
    (g) Report to Congress.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 3 years after establishing 
        the grant program under this section, the Commission shall 
        submit to Congress a report evaluating the effectiveness of the 
        grant program.
            (2) Contents.--The report submitted under paragraph (1) 
        shall include--
                    (A) the number of individuals notified of Lifeline 
                program eligibility by States receiving grants under 
                this section;
                    (B) the number of new applicants to the Lifeline 
                program from States receiving grants under this 
                section, including the number of those applicants whose 
                Lifeline program applications were approved and the 
                number of those applicants whose Lifeline program 
                applications were denied; and
                    (C) the cost-effectiveness of the grant program 
                established under this section.
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Commission such sums as may be necessary to carry 
out this section for the first 5 full fiscal years beginning after the 
establishment of the grant program under this section.
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