Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act
A BILL
To make high-speed broadband internet service accessible and affordable to all Americans, and for other purposes.
2. Definitions
In this Act:
Aging individual— The term aging individual has the meaning given the term older individual in section 102 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3002).
Appropriate committees of Congress— The term appropriate committees of Congress means—
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate;
the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives.
Assistant Secretary— The term Assistant Secretary means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information.
Commission— The term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission.
Covered household— The term covered household means a household the income of which does not exceed 150 percent of the poverty threshold, as determined by using criteria of poverty established by the Bureau of the Census, for a household of the size involved.
Covered populations— The term covered populations means—
individuals who are members of covered households;
aging individuals;
incarcerated individuals, other than individuals who are incarcerated in a Federal correctional facility (including a private facility operated under contract with the Federal Government);
veterans;
individuals with disabilities;
individuals with a language barrier, including individuals who—
are English learners; or
have low levels of literacy;
individuals who are members of a racial or ethnic minority group; and
individuals who primarily reside in a rural area.
Digital literacy— The term digital literacy means the skills associated with using technology to enable users to find, evaluate, organize, create, and communicate information.
Disability— The term disability has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102).
Federal agency— The term Federal agency has the meaning given the term agency in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
Indian Tribe— The term Indian Tribe has the meaning given the term Indian tribe in section 4(e) of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304(e)).
Institution of higher education— The term institution of higher education—
has the meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001); and
includes a postsecondary vocational institution.
Postsecondary vocational institution— The term postsecondary vocational institution has the meaning given the term in section 102(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(c)).
Rural area— The term rural area has the meaning given the term in section 13 of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 U.S.C. 913).
State— The term State has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153).
Veteran— The term veteran has the meaning given the term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code.
3. Sense of Congress
In general— It is the sense of Congress that—
a broadband service connection and digital literacy are increasingly critical to how individuals—
participate in the society, economy, and civic institutions of the United States; and
access healthcare and essential services, obtain education, and build careers;
digital exclusion—
carries a high societal and economic cost;
materially harms the opportunity of an individual with respect to the economic success, educational achievement, positive health outcomes, social inclusion, and civic engagement of that individual;
materially harms the opportunity of areas where it is especially widespread with respect to economic success, educational achievement, positive health outcomes, social cohesion, and civic institutions; and
exacerbates existing wealth and income gaps, especially those experienced by covered populations and between regions;
achieving accessible and affordable access to broadband service, as well as digital literacy, for all people of the United States requires additional and sustained research efforts and investment;
the Federal Government, as well as State, Tribal, and local governments, have made social, legal, and economic obligations that necessarily extend to how the citizens and residents of those governments access and use the internet; and
achieving accessible and affordable access to broadband service is a matter of social and economic justice and is worth pursuing.
Broadband service defined— In this section, the term broadband service has the meaning given the term broadband internet access service in section 8.1(b) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.
4. Severability
If any provision of this Act, an amendment made by this Act, or the application of such provision or amendment to any person or circumstance is held to be invalid, the remainder of this Act and the amendments made by this Act, and the application of such provision or amendment to any other person or circumstance, shall not be affected thereby.