Broadband Data and E-rate Improvement Act

Broadband Data and E-rate Improvement Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to make ineligible for preferential rates (E-rate assistance) or treatment with respect to universal telecommunications service any library or library consortium (tribal library) ineligible for assistance funded by a grant under the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) from an Indian tribe or other organization. (Thus makes LSTA grant-eligible tribal libraries also eligible for E-rate assistance to the same extent as other libraries receiving such assistance.)

Directs the Secretary of Commerce to expand the American Community Survey conducted by the Bureau of the Census to elicit information for residential households, including those located on native lands, as to what technology such households use to access the Internet from home.

[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2378 Introduced in Senate (IS)]


109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2378

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure that tribal libraries 
 that receive assistance under the Library Services and Technology Act 
    are eligible for E-rate assistance to the same extent as other 
      libraries receiving such assistance, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 7, 2006

 Mr. Inouye (for himself, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Dorgan, Mr. Burns, and Mr. 
    McCain) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure that tribal libraries 
 that receive assistance under the Library Services and Technology Act 
    are eligible for E-rate assistance to the same extent as other 
      libraries receiving such assistance 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 ``Broadband Data and E-rate 
Improvement Act''.

SEC. 2. TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES FOR LIBRARIES.

    Section 254(h)(4) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
254(h)(4)) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(4) Certain users not eligible.--Notwithstanding any other 
provision of this subsection, the following entities are not entitled 
to preferential rates or treatment as required by this subsection:
                    ``(A) An entity operated as a for-profit business.
                    ``(B) A school described in paragraph (7)(A) with 
                an endowment of more than $50,000,000.
                    ``(C) A library or library consortium not eligible 
                for assistance under the Library Services and 
                Technology Act (20 U.S.C. 9101 et seq.) from a State 
                library administrative agency.
                    ``(D) A library or library consortium not eligible 
                for assistance funded by a grant under section 261 of 
                the Library Services and Technology Act (20 U.S.C. 
                9161) from an Indian tribe or other organization.''.

SEC. 3. AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY RESIDENTIAL INTERNET ACCESS QUESTION.

    The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Federal 
Communications Commission, shall expand the American Community Survey 
conducted by the Bureau of the Census to elicit information for 
residential households, including those located on native lands, as to 
what technology such households use to access the Internet from home.
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