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]
[H.R. 7973 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7973

  To amend the Communications Act of 1934 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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 7, 2020

 Mr. Lujan (for himself and Mr. Mullin) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Communications Act of 1934 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 Federal 
                universal service support 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);
                    ``(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);
                    ``(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 and designated by such Indian Tribe 
                for purposes of paragraph (2)(B), 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 
                        (notwithstanding section 54.501(b)(2) of title 
                        47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any 
                        successor regulation), as a library or library 
                        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.) (notwithstanding the 
                        requirement relating to such eligibility in 
                        subsection (h)(4) of this section and section 
                        54.501(b)(1) of title 47, Code of Federal 
                        Regulations, or any successor regulation), if 
                        the library or library consortium is eligible 
                        for support from such Indian Tribe under such 
                        section 261.
                            ``(ii) Rule of construction.--Nothing in 
                        clause (i) shall be construed to exempt a 
                        Tribal library or Tribal library consortium 
                        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 program.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The Commission, in 
                        consultation with the Director of the Institute 
                        of Museum and Library Services and the head of 
                        any other agency with relevant 
                        responsibilities, shall establish a 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 designated by 
                        such Indian Tribes.
                            ``(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.
                    ``(C) Use of contributions.--Of the amount 
                collected for Federal universal service support 
                programs under subsection (d), $100,000,000 shall be 
                made available for the 3-fiscal-year period beginning 
                after the date of the enactment of this subsection 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 designated 
                        by the Commission to administer the Federal 
                        universal service support programs under this 
                        section to submit an annual report to the 
                        Commission regarding the actions of the E-rate 
                        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 application 
                                process for the E-rate program 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 technical assistance and 
                training.--The Commission, in consultation with the 
                Director of the Institute of Museum and Library 
                Services, shall provide technical assistance and 
                training to Indian Tribes with respect to Federal 
                universal service support 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 Director of the 
                Institute of Museum and Library Services, identify 
                Tribal libraries and developing Tribal libraries in the 
                United States; and
                    ``(iii) not later than 1 year after the date of the 
                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).''.
                                 <all>