Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act

Bill: 117-s-745
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
Introduced: 2021-03-15 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Adult education and literacy
Aging
Appropriations
Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Community life and organization
Computer security and identity theft
Computers and information technology
Congressional oversight
Correctional facilities and imprisonment
Department of Commerce
Digital media
Disability and paralysis
Economic development
Educational facilities and institutions
Elementary and secondary education
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Food assistance and relief
Foreign language and bilingual programs
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Government studies and investigations
Government trust funds
Health care coverage and access
Health facilities and institutions
Health technology, devices, supplies
Higher education
Indian social and development programs
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Infrastructure development
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Labor standards
Labor-management relations
Law enforcement administration and funding
Libraries and archives
Medicaid
Motor carriers
Motor vehicles
Museums, exhibitions, cultural centers
Performance measurement
Poverty and welfare assistance
Preschool education
Public contracts and procurement
Public housing
Public-private cooperation
Racial and ethnic relations
Right of privacy
Roads and highways
Rural conditions and development
Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations
State and local government operations
Telecommunication rates and fees
Telephone and wireless communication
Unemployment
Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2021-03-15
text: 

Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act

 
This bill reauthorizes through FY2026, revises, and establishes grants and activities to promote access to telecommunications services, including broadband internet.
 
The bill addresses digital equity and inclusion through grants and by requiring studies on barriers to adopting broadband services and related matters.
 
The bill addresses broadband affordability and access. It (1) reauthorizes and expands programs that subsidize or support broadband services for, among others, eligible households, schools, and minority communities; and (2) establishes a program for expanding broadband service for underserved areas and community support organizations (e.g., religious organizations). Additionally, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must expand programs that verify an individual's eligibility for subsidized telecommunications services.
 
The bill addresses matters concerning broadband data. The FCC must (1) issue rules for collecting pricing data and labels for disclosing information about broadband plans to consumers, and (2) collaborate and share data with federal agencies and stakeholders.
 
The bill makes financing (e.g., low-interest loans) available to communities and public-private partnerships for broadband infrastructure investments and creates grants to establish or expand certain internet exchange facilities and submarine cable landing stations. Additionally, the Department of Transportation must require states to install conduits for broadband cables as part of certain highway projects. The bill also sets up a task force on nationwide dig once requirements (i.e., policies or practices to minimize excavations of highway rights-of-way when installing telecommunications infrastructure).
 
Further, the bill preempts state laws that prohibit certain telecommunications service providers (e.g., public providers) from providing high-speed broadband services. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2021-03-15
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2021-03-15
text: Introduced in Senate