[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 81 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 81

      Supporting the designation of National Digital Literacy Day.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 26, 2013

Mr. Markey (for himself, Ms. Matsui, Ms. Eshoo, Ms. Hahn, Ms. Bordallo, 
   Mr. Welch, Mr. Peters of California, Mr. Watt, and Mr. McGovern) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                         on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
      Supporting the designation of National Digital Literacy Day.

Whereas Congress has long recognized the need to close the digital divide for 
        Americans of all ages;
Whereas the Telecommunications Act of 1996 spurred a significant increase in 
        broadband access in the United States, with only 15 percent of Americans 
        having broadband access deployed to their homes before enactment and 98 
        percent of Americans having access to either fixed or mobile broadband 
        today;
Whereas this dedication to closing the digital divide has continued through the 
        evolution of programs such as the universal service Schools and 
        Libraries Program (commonly known as ``E-rate''), which has provided 
        funding of more than $30 billion over the past 13 years and helped 
        ensure that almost every school and library across the United States has 
        Internet access;
Whereas this dedication was further demonstrated through the American Recovery 
        and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which called for the creation of the 
        National Broadband Plan;
Whereas the National Broadband Plan set a goal of having a 90-percent broadband 
        adoption rate by 2020;
Whereas these and other programs have strived to create a more productive, 
        creative, and efficient Nation, where affordable broadband Internet is 
        available everywhere and everyone has the means and skills to use 
        valuable broadband applications;
Whereas the United States has taken enormous strides during the last two decades 
        in moving from analog to digital communications technologies and from 
        limited access to near-universal access to mobile broadband, but more 
        work remains to be done;
Whereas it is estimated that 100 million Americans have not adopted broadband 
        Internet in the home and one in five adults have no digital literacy 
        skills;
Whereas having no digital literacy skills means that a person does not possess 
        the knowledge of how to operate a computer or use the Internet;
Whereas Americans who do not use the Internet are missing out on opportunities 
        to further their education, to access innovative health care services, 
        and to find and qualify for a job;
Whereas more than 80 percent of Fortune 500 companies now require online job 
        applications;
Whereas the impact is particularly great in urban, low-income, minority, and 
        rural areas, and less than one-third of the poorest Americans have 
        adopted broadband;
Whereas there is growing evidence of a ``skills mismatch'', which leaves 
        unfilled many jobs that require basic digital skills, such as knowing 
        how to use a computer, perform an electronic search, and upload or 
        process a transaction;
Whereas without increased training in these skills, this problem is likely to 
        worsen in the future, with nearly 80 percent of jobs in the next decade 
        projected to require digital skills;
Whereas the digital divide keeps teachers from assigning Internet-based homework 
        if a significant percentage of their students do not have broadband 
        access at home, and teaching to the lowest digital denominator does not 
        work for our children or our country;
Whereas digital literacy is essential for education and preparing our children 
        for the economy of the future, but when roughly one-third of American 
        children do not use the Internet at home, all children are impacted;
Whereas National Digital Literacy Day is a purely volunteer event during which 
        Americans can focus on increasing awareness of what the Internet has to 
        offer by helping others overcome their concerns and fears about getting 
        online through emphasizing how the Internet is personally relevant to 
        their lives;
Whereas leaders in the public and private sectors have worked together and 
        should continue to collaborate and partner to bring the benefits of the 
        Internet to Americans of all ages; and
Whereas March 21 would be an appropriate day to designate as National Digital 
        Literacy Day: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the designation of National Digital Literacy 
        Day; and
            (2) reaffirms the continued need to promote digital 
        literacy, broadband access, and broadband adoption in the 
        United States.
                                 <all>