Title: Tribal Connect Act of 2020
Policy area: Native Americans

Summary:
Tribal Connect Act of 2020
This bill expands tribal access to the Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support (E-rate) program, which provides discounted broadband internet access and telecommunications services to certain schools and libraries. It also establishes a pilot program to provide E-rate support to certain community-serving institutions.
First, a tribe may designate a tribal library or tribal library consortium, including a public-serving library of a tribal college or university, as a library or library consortium that is eligible for E-rate support. The tribe may make this designation regardless of whether the library or consortium is eligible for certain assistance from a state library administrative agency.
In addition, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must establish a program to provide E-rate support to tribes for qualifying essential community-serving institutions (e.g., community centers). E-rate support may be provided to institutions designated by tribes if (1) the institutions are exclusively owned by the tribes; and (2) the institutions intend to deliver publicly available internet access to students, teachers, librarians, and community members.
Further, the bill requires the FCC to (1) provide technical assistance and training, (2) develop performance measures, and (3) review and submit annual reports.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4529 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4529

  To improve access by Indian Tribes to support from the Schools and 
  Libraries Universal Service Support program (E-rate) of the Federal 
           Communications Commission, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            August 13, 2020

 Mr. Heinrich introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
              referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To improve access by Indian Tribes to support from the Schools and 
  Libraries Universal Service Support program (E-rate) of the Federal 
           Communications Commission, 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 ``Tribal Connect Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY OF TRIBAL LIBRARIES AND QUALIFYING ESSENTIAL 
              COMMUNITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS FOR E-RATE SUPPORT.

    Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (h)(4), by inserting ``, except as 
        provided in subsection (m),'' before ``is a library or library 
        consortium''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(m) Eligibility of Tribal Libraries and Qualifying Essential 
Community-Serving Institutions for E-Rate Support.--
            ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection--
                    ``(A) the term `broadband internet access service' 
                has the meaning given the term in section 8.1(b) of 
                title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor 
                regulation;
                    ``(B) the term `E-rate program' means the universal 
                service program for schools and libraries authorized 
                under subsection (h)(1)(B), the rules of which are set 
                forth under subpart F of part 54 of title 47, Code of 
                Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation), as 
                authorized under subsection (h)(2)(A);
                    ``(C) the term `E-rate support' means universal 
                service discounts on eligible services in accordance 
                with subpart F of part 54 of title 47, Code of Federal 
                Regulations (or any successor regulation), as 
                authorized under subsection (h)(2)(A);
                    ``(D) the term `Indian Tribe' has the meaning given 
                the term `Indian tribe' in section 20.100 of title 25, 
                Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor 
                regulation;
                    ``(E) the term `qualifying essential community-
                serving institution' means a facility exclusively owned 
                by an Indian Tribe, including a tribal government 
                building, chapter house, longhouse, community center, 
                senior center, or other similar public building; and
                    ``(F) the term `Tribal College or University' has 
                the meaning given the term in section 316(b) of the 
                Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)).
            ``(2) Eligibility of tribal libraries for e-rate support.--
                    ``(A) Designation of tribal libraries as libraries 
                eligible for e-rate support.--
                            ``(i) In general.--An Indian Tribe 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, including a public-serving 
                        library of a Tribal College or University, as a 
                        library or consortium that is eligible for E-
                        rate support, 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 under such section 
                        261.
                            ``(ii) Rule of construction.--Nothing in 
                        clause (i) shall be construed to exempt a 
                        tribal library from any requirement under the 
                        E-rate program not described in that clause, 
                        including the other requirements relating to 
                        eligible recipients under section 54.501 of 
                        title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any 
                        successor regulation).
                    ``(B) Tribal essential community-serving 
                institution demonstration program.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The Commission, in 
                        consultation with the Institute of Museum and 
                        Library Services and any other agency with 
                        relevant responsibilities, shall establish a 
                        pilot program to be known as the `Tribal 
                        Essential Community-Serving Institution 
                        Program', under which the Commission shall 
                        provide E-rate support to Indian Tribes for 
                        qualifying essential community-serving 
                        institutions, as designated by an Indian Tribe.
                            ``(ii) Eligibility.--E-rate support 
                        obtained under this subparagraph shall only be 
                        available to an Indian Tribe if the proposed 
                        qualifying essential community-serving 
                        institution intends to deliver publicly 
                        available internet access and 
                        telecommunications services to students, 
                        teachers, librarians, and members of the 
                        community.
                            ``(iii) Eligibility for e-rate after the 
                        demonstration program.--A qualifying essential 
                        community-serving institution that receives E-
                        rate support under this subparagraph shall be 
                        eligible for E-rate support at the end of the 
                        3-year period described in subparagraph (C).
                    ``(C) Use of contributions.--Of the amount 
                collected for the Universal Service Fund under 
                subsection (d), $100,000,000 shall be made available 
                for the 3-fiscal-year period beginning after the date 
                of enactment of the Tribal Connect Act of 2020 to the 
                Commission to carry out this paragraph.
            ``(3) Training and technical assistance for tribal schools 
        and libraries.--
                    ``(A) Annual reports.--The Commission shall--
                            ``(i) direct the Administrator of the 
                        Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support 
                        program to submit an annual report to the 
                        Commission regarding the actions of the Schools 
                        and Libraries Universal Service Support program 
                        to ensure that tribal schools and libraries can 
                        participate fully and effectively in the E-rate 
                        program, including--
                                    ``(I) outreach efforts targeted to 
                                tribal schools and libraries to promote 
                                awareness of the E-rate program;
                                    ``(II) specific E-rate training 
                                programs for tribal schools and 
                                libraries; and
                                    ``(III) other technical assistance 
                                initiatives regarding the program's 
                                application process that are available 
                                to tribal schools and libraries; and
                            ``(ii) submit each annual report described 
                        in clause (i) to--
                                    ``(I) the Committee on Commerce, 
                                Science, and Transportation of the 
                                Senate;
                                    ``(II) the Committee on Indian 
                                Affairs of the Senate;
                                    ``(III) the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce of the House of 
                                Representatives; and
                                    ``(IV) the Committee on Natural 
                                Resources of the House of 
                                Representatives.
                    ``(B) Review of annual reports.--The Commission 
                shall review each annual report required under 
                subparagraph (A) to determine whether additional steps 
                are necessary to ensure that tribal schools and 
                libraries can participate fully and effectively in the 
                E-rate program.
                    ``(C) Universal service fund technical assistance 
                and training.--The Commission, in consultation with the 
                Institute of Museum and Library Services, shall provide 
                technical assistance and training to Indian Tribes with 
                respect to Universal Service Fund programs.
            ``(4) Coordination and performance measurement.--The 
        Commission shall--
                    ``(A) improve the reliability of the data of the 
                Commission relating to institutions that receive E-rate 
                support by defining the term `tribal' on the 
                application for E-rate support; and
                    ``(B)(i) develop performance goals and measures to 
                track progress on achieving the strategic objective of 
                the Commission of ensuring that all Indian Tribes have 
                affordable access to broadband internet access service 
                for educational purposes for students, teachers, 
                librarians, and members of the community;
                    ``(ii) in coordination with the Institute of Museum 
                and Library Services, identify all tribal libraries and 
                developing tribal libraries in the United States; and
                    ``(iii) not later than 1 year after the date of 
                enactment of this subsection, submit to Congress and 
                make public a report on the goals and measures 
                developed under clause (i) and the list of libraries 
                identified under clause (ii).''.
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