No official summary available for this bill.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8466 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8466
To amend division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 to
improve the Affordable Connectivity Program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 17, 2024
Mr. Williams of New York introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to
the Committees on Financial Services, Transportation and
Infrastructure, Science, Space, and Technology, Natural Resources,
Oversight and Accountability, Foreign Affairs, and the Judiciary, 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 division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 to
improve the Affordable Connectivity 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 ``Affordable Connectivity Program
Improvement and Extension Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVING THE AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM.
(a) Improving Verification of Eligibility.--
(1) Required use of national verifier to determine
eligibility.--Section 904 of division N of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2021 (47 U.S.C. 1752) is amended--
(A) in subsection (a)(6)(C), by striking ``or the
participating provider verifies eligibility under
subsection (a)(2)(B)''; and
(B) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ``shall'' and
all that follows and inserting the following: ``shall
use the National Verifier or National Lifeline
Accountability Database.''.
(2) Repeal of eligibility through a provider's existing
low-income program.--Section 904(a)(6) of division N of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (47 U.S.C. 1752(a)(6)) is
amended--
(A) in subparagraph (C), by adding ``or'' at the
end;
(B) by striking subparagraph (D); and
(C) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as
subparagraph (D).
(3) Limitation on eligibility through the community
eligibility provision of the free lunch program and the free
school breakfast program.--Section 904(a)(6) of division N of
the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (47 U.S.C.
1752(a)(6)) is amended by striking subparagraph (B) and
inserting the following:
``(B) at least 1 member of the household--
``(i) is eligible for and receives--
``(I) free or reduced price lunch
under the school lunch program
established under the Richard B.
Russell National School Lunch Act (42
U.S.C. 1751 et seq.); or
``(II) free or reduced price
breakfast under the school breakfast
program established under section 4 of
the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42
U.S.C. 1773); and
``(ii) attends a school the local
educational agency of which does not elect to
receive special assistance payments under
section 11(a)(1)(F) of the Richard B. Russell
National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C.
1759a(a)(1)(F)).''.
(4) Reduction of eligible households.--Section 904(a)(6)(A)
of division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (47
U.S.C. 1752(a)(6)(A)) is amended by striking ``except that''
and all that follows and inserting a semicolon.
(5) Informational requirement.--Section 904(b)(6) of
division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (47
U.S.C. 1752(b)(6)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(D) That the participating provider has obtained
the last 4 digits of the social security number of at
least 1 member from each eligible household for which
the participating provider is seeking reimbursement.''.
(6) Effective date; rules.--
(A) Definitions.--In this paragraph--
(i) the terms ``affordable connectivity
benefit'', ``Commission'', ``eligible
household'', and ``participating provider''
have the meanings given those terms in section
904(a) of division N of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2021 (47 U.S.C. 1752(a)),
as amended by this subsection; and
(ii) the term ``Affordable Connectivity
Program'' means the program established under
section 904(b)(1) of division N of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (47
U.S.C. 1752(b)(1)).
(B) Effective date.--Except as provided in
subparagraph (C), the amendments made by this
subsection shall take effect on the date of enactment
of this Act.
(C) Enrolled households.--A household that received
the affordable connectivity benefit as of April 30,
2024, but is no longer an eligible household by reason
of the amendments made by this subsection shall
nonetheless be treated as an eligible household until
the date that is 180 days after the date of enactment
of this Act.
(D) Updating rules.--Not later than 180 days after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall
update the rules of the Commission relating to the
Affordable Connectivity Program to implement the
amendments made by this subsection.
(E) Re-certification.--During the period beginning
on the date on which the Commission updates the rules
under subparagraph (D) and ending on the date that is
240 days after the date of enactment of this Act, a
participating provider or the Administrator of the
Universal Service Administrative Company, as
applicable, shall re-certify the eligibility of a
household for the Affordable Connectivity Program in
accordance with section 54.1806(f) of title 47, Code of
Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation, based
on the amendments made by this subsection.
(b) Limitation With Respect to Changing Providers.--Section
904(a)(6) of division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021
(47 U.S.C. 1752(a)(6)), as amended by subsection (a), is further
amended--
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D)
as clauses (i), (ii), (iii), and (iv), respectively, and
conforming the margins accordingly;
(2) by striking ``The term'' and inserting the following:
``(A) In general.--The term''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) Limitation with respect to changing
providers.--Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), in the
case of a household that receives an affordable
connectivity benefit pursuant to the Affordable
Connectivity Program and is seeking to change broadband
providers, the term `eligible household' does not apply
to such household for purposes of a new broadband
provider unless such household has been receiving
broadband internet access service from the current
broadband provider of such household for at least 180
days.''.
(c) Antifraud Controls, Performance Goals, and Measures.--Section
904 of division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (47
U.S.C. 1752) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(k) Antifraud Controls, Performance Goals, and Measures.--Not
later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, the
Commission shall develop and implement antifraud controls, performance
goals, and performance measures for the Affordable Connectivity
Program, and in doing so, shall consider the recommendations submitted
by the Comptroller General of the United States to the Commission in
the report entitled `Affordable Broadband: FCC Could Improve
Performance Goals and Measures, Consumer Outreach, and Fraud Risk
Management', publicly released January 25, 2023 (GAO-23-105399).''.
(d) Report on Effectiveness.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the Federal
Communications Commission shall submit to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Energy
and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report analyzing the
effects of this section, including the amendments made by this section,
with respect to improving the efficiency and quality of the Affordable
Connectivity Program established under section 904 of division N of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (47 U.S.C. 1752).
(e) Appropriation of Funds.--Section 904(i)(2) of division N of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (47 U.S.C. 1752(i)(2)) is
amended--
(1) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``Appropriation''
and inserting ``Appropriations'';
(2) by striking ``There is'' and inserting the following:
``(A) Fiscal year 2021.--There is''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) Fiscal year 2024.--There is appropriated to
the Affordable Connectivity Fund, out of any money in
the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $6,000,000,000
for fiscal year 2024, to remain available until
expended.''.
(f) Rescission.--Section 521(a)(4) of the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2024 is amended by striking ``$12,440,000,000,''
and inserting ``$18,440,000,000,''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Science, Space, and Technology, Natural Resources, Oversight and Accountability, Foreign Affairs, and the Judiciary, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Science, Space, and Technology, Natural Resources, Oversight and Accountability, Foreign Affairs, and the Judiciary, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Science, Space, and Technology, Natural Resources, Oversight and Accountability, Foreign Affairs, and the Judiciary, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Science, Space, and Technology, Natural Resources, Oversight and Accountability, Foreign Affairs, and the Judiciary, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Science, Space, and Technology, Natural Resources, Oversight and Accountability, Foreign Affairs, and the Judiciary, 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.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Science, Space, and Technology, Natural Resources, Oversight and Accountability, Foreign Affairs, and the Judiciary, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Science, Space, and Technology, Natural Resources, Oversight and Accountability, Foreign Affairs, and the Judiciary, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Transportation and Infrastructure, Science, Space, and Technology, Natural Resources, Oversight and Accountability, Foreign Affairs, and the Judiciary, 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.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.