Title: Closing the Homework Gap Through Mobile Hotspots Act
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Closing the Homework Gap Through Mobile Hotspots Act
This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to establish the Mobile Hotspot Grant Program.
Under the program, the NTIA may provide grants to eligible institutions (e.g., elementary and secondary schools, universities, Indian Tribes, or libraries) to facilitate a mobile hotspot program that provides students with a portable hotspot device for connecting to the internet. The NTIA shall prioritize institutions that will provide hotspots to the highest number of low-income students and, to the extent practicable, shall disburse at least 5% of grant funds to Indian Tribes and 5% to U.S. territories and the District of Columbia.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5243 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5243

To amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
 Organization Act to establish a mobile hotspot grant program, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 21, 2019

 Ms. Meng (for herself, Mrs. Beatty, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mrs. Bustos, 
Mr. Butterfield, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Engel, Mr. Espaillat, Ms. 
Fudge, Mr. Gonzalez of Texas, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Khanna, Mrs. 
      Lawrence, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Ryan, Mr. Sablan, Mr. Thompson of 
   Mississippi, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Velazquez, and Mrs. Watson 
   Coleman) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
 Organization Act to establish a mobile hotspot grant program, 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 ``Closing the Homework Gap Through 
Mobile Hotspots Act''.

SEC. 2. MOBILE HOTSPOT GRANT PROGRAM.

    The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
Organization Act (47 U.S.C 901 et seq.) is amended by adding after 
section 158 the following new section:

``SEC. 159 MOBILE HOTSPOT GRANT PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Establishment.--The Assistant Secretary shall establish a 
program (to be known as the `Mobile Hotspot Grant Program') to provide 
grants to eligible institutions to facilitate mobile hotspot programs.
    ``(b) Grant Authority.--The Assistant Secretary may provide grants 
to eligible institutions under the program established in subsection 
(a).
    ``(c) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant provided 
under this section, an eligible institution shall submit an application 
at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the 
Assistant Secretary may require.
    ``(d) Use of Grants.--A grant provided under this section shall be 
used to facilitate a mobile hotspot program that provides a hotspot 
device to an enrolled student, or the family or guardian of such 
enrolled student, and such hotspot device shall--
            ``(1) be portable;
            ``(2) not contain a data limitation; and
            ``(3) comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection 
        Act of 1998 (15 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.).
    ``(e) Priority of Grants.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Assistant Secretary shall prioritize 
        providing a grant to eligible institutions that create a mobile 
        hotspot program that will provide hotspot devices to the 
        highest number of low-income students.
            ``(2) Set asides.--
                    ``(A) Federally recognized indian tribes.--To the 
                extent practicable, at least 5 percent of the amounts 
                appropriated to carry out this section shall be used to 
                provide grants to federally recognized Indian Tribes.
                    ``(B) U.S. territories and the district of 
                columbia.--To the extent practicable, at least 5 
                percent of the amounts appropriated to carry out this 
                section shall be used to provide grants to territories 
                of the United States and the District of Columbia.
    ``(f) Grant Limit.--An eligible institution may not receive more 
than 2 percent of the total sum appropriated for a fiscal year to carry 
out this section.
    ``(g) Report.--The Assistant Secretary shall submit to Congress a 
report on--
            ``(1) the number of eligible institutions that receive a 
        grant provided under this section;
            ``(2) the number of enrolled students that receive access 
        to broadband internet access service through a grant provided 
        under this section;
            ``(3) the number of enrolled students that are part of the 
        homework gap;
            ``(4) how hotspot devices are used; and
            ``(5) the amount of data used per hotspot device.
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $100,000,000 for each fiscal year 2020 through 2025.
    ``(i) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Broadband internet access service.--The term 
        `broadband internet access service' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 8.1(b) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations 
        (or any successor regulation).
            ``(2) Elementary school; secondary school.--The terms 
        `elementary school' and `secondary school' have the meanings 
        given such terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and 
        Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            ``(3) Eligible institution.--The term `eligible 
        institution' means any of the following:
                    ``(A) An elementary school.
                    ``(B) A secondary school.
                    ``(C) An institution of higher education.
                    ``(D) A federally recognized Indian Tribe.
                    ``(E) A library.
                    ``(F) A library consortium.
                    ``(G) A State library administrative agency.
            ``(4) Enrolled student.--The term `enrolled student' means 
        a student who is enrolled in an elementary school, a secondary 
        school, or an institution of higher education.
            ``(5) Federally recognized indian tribe.--The term 
        `federally recognized Indian Tribe' has the meaning given the 
        term `Indian tribe' in section 4 of the Indian Self-
        Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
            ``(6) Homework gap.--The term `homework gap' means unequal 
        access to digital devices and broadband internet access service 
        that prevents an enrolled student from completing homework.
            ``(7) Hotspot device.--The term `hotspot device' means a 
        portable device--
                    ``(A) that connects to broadband internet access 
                service using a cellular data connection;
                    ``(B) to which other devices wirelessly connect by 
                means of Wi-Fi; and
                    ``(C) that enables the devices described in 
                subparagraph (B) to connect to the broadband internet 
                access service described in subparagraph (A).
            ``(8) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        `institution of higher education' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
            ``(9) Library; library consortium; state library 
        administrative agency.--The terms `library', `library 
        consortium', and `State library administrative agency' have the 
        meanings given such terms in section 213 of the Museum and 
        Library Services Act (20 U.S.C. 9122).
            ``(10) Low-income student.--The term `low-income student' 
        has the meaning given such term in section 6122 of the America 
        COMPETES Act (20 U.S.C. 9832).''.
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