[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7494 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7494

 To direct the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and 
    Information to establish a pilot program to increase access to 
   internet-capable devices through public-private partnerships, to 
establish best practices for States and Indian Tribes for reducing the 
barriers to, and increasing the adoption of, broadband internet access 
                    service, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              July 6, 2020

  Mr. O'Halleran (for himself and Mr. Johnson of Ohio) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and 
    Information to establish a pilot program to increase access to 
   internet-capable devices through public-private partnerships, to 
establish best practices for States and Indian Tribes for reducing the 
barriers to, and increasing the adoption of, broadband internet access 
                    service, 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 Adoption and Opportunity 
Act''.

SEC. 2. INTERNET-CAPABLE DEVICE ACCESS PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Pilot Program.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall establish a pilot 
program for the purposes of using public-private partnerships seeking 
to--
            (1) refurbish internet-capable devices; and
            (2) establish or carry out one or more donation, lending, 
        or purchasing programs that increases access to such 
        refurbished devices to individuals that do not have internet-
        capable devices.
    (b) Application.--To be eligible to participate in the pilot 
program under this section, a public-private partnership shall submit 
to the Assistant Secretary an application, in such a form and in such a 
manner as the Assistant Secretary may require.
    (c) Criteria.--In determining whether to approve an application 
submitted by a public-private partnership under this section, the 
Assistant Secretary shall consider, in addition to other such criteria 
as the Assistant Secretary determines appropriate--
            (1) the ability of the public-private partnership to--
                    (A) refurbish internet-capable devices; and
                    (B) establish or carry out one or more donation, 
                lending, or purchasing programs that increases access 
                to refurbished internet-capable devices to individuals 
                that do not have internet-capable devices; and
            (2) the extent to which the public-private partnership 
        demonstrates in the application--
                    (A) organizational experience in--
                            (i) refurbishing internet-capable devices;
                            (ii) identifying individuals that do not 
                        have internet-capable devices; and
                            (iii) providing training and end-user 
                        support to such individuals as part of a 
                        comprehensive digital inclusion program; and
                    (B) the ability to establish or carry out one or 
                more donation, lending, or purchasing programs that 
                provide refurbished internet-capable devices to 
                individuals in a county that the Assistant Secretary 
                determines has a significant need for internet-capable 
                devices.
    (d) Determination of Significant Need.--For the purpose of 
determining whether a county has a significant need for internet-
capable devices under subsection (c)(2)(B), the Assistant Secretary may 
consider relevant data provided by the American Community Survey or the 
Federal Communications Commission.
    (e) Duration.--The Assistant Secretary shall carry out the pilot 
program under this section for a period not longer than 5 years.
    (f) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the termination of the 
pilot program under this section, the Assistant Secretary 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, and make available to the public, a report on the 
efficacy of the pilot program, including--
            (1) any outcome measures used by the Assistant Secretary to 
        determine efficacy;
            (2) the efficacy of public-private partnerships 
        participating in the pilot program under this section in--
                    (A) refurbishing internet-capable devices; and
                    (B) establishing or carrying out a donation, 
                lending, or purchasing programs that provides 
                refurbished internet-capable devices to individuals 
                that do not have internet-capable devices; and
            (3) any barriers that prevent or hinder access to internet-
        capable devices, as identified by the Assistant Secretary.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            (1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
        the Assistant Secretary to carry out this section $50,000,000 
        for fiscal year 2021, which shall remain available until 
        expended.
            (2) Administrative costs.--Not more than 5 percent of the 
        amount appropriated under paragraph (1) shall be used for 
        administrative expenses.
    (h) Public-Private Partnership Defined.--In this section, the term 
``public-private partnership'' means a partnership between at least two 
entities, which may include the following:
            (1) A private sector entity.
            (2) A nonprofit organization.
            (3) A library.
            (4) A community anchor institution.
            (5) A provider of broadband internet access service.
            (6) An appropriate State agency (or in the case of an 
        Indian Tribe, the tribal equivalent of an appropriate State 
        agency).

SEC. 3. DEVELOPMENT OF BEST PRACTICES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall, in consultation 
with the Federal Communications Commission, States and Indian Tribes, 
and the entities described in subsection (b), develop recommendations 
for States and Indian Tribes (and any political subdivisions thereof, 
respectively) on best practices for reducing the barriers to, and 
increasing the adoption of, broadband internet access service within 
the respective State or Indian Tribe (or any political subdivision 
thereof, respectively), including best practices for--
            (1) determining how to increase the adoption of broadband 
        internet access service among individuals (including 
        individuals with disabilities) in different educational, 
        racial, ethnic, socio-economic, and age groups;
            (2) developing informational strategies for individuals 
        (including individuals with disabilities) in different 
        educational, racial, ethnic, socio-economic, and age groups 
        that help such individuals identify, and understand how to 
        qualify for, low-cost broadband internet access service 
        programs;
            (3) determining how to assist libraries, community anchor 
        institutions, or nonprofit organizations in establishing or 
        expanding technical training programs for individuals 
        (including individuals with disabilities) in different 
        educational, racial, ethnic, socio-economic, and age groups, to 
        learn skills to use internet-capable devices to access services 
        or accomplish tasks; and
            (4) identifying the appropriate data metrics to use to 
        measure the adoption of broadband internet access service 
        within the respective State or Indian Tribe (or political 
        subdivision thereof, respectively).
    (b) Entities Described.--The entities described in this subsection 
are as follows:
            (1) Community anchor institutions.
            (2) Libraries.
            (3) Appropriate State agencies.
            (4) State educational agencies.
            (5) State library administrative agencies.
            (6) Nonprofit organizations.
            (7) Cooperative organizations.
            (8) Private sector entities.
            (9) Providers of broadband internet access service.
            (10) Bureau-funded schools.
    (c) Development of Best Practices.--In developing the best 
practices under subsection (a), the Assistant Secretary shall identify, 
and include in such best practices, any resources available through the 
Broadband USA program of the National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration that a State or Indian Tribe (or political 
subdivisions thereof, respectively) may use for the purpose of 
increasing the adoption of broadband internet access service within the 
respective State or Indian Tribe.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Adoption of broadband internet access service.--The 
        term ``adoption of broadband internet access service'' means 
        the process by which an individual--
                    (A) develops skills necessary to accomplish common 
                tasks using broadband internet access service; and
                    (B) obtains daily access to the internet through 
                broadband internet access service.
            (2) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary'' 
        means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications 
        and Information.
            (3) Appropriate state agency.--The term ``appropriate State 
        agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 706(a) of 
        the RAY BAUM'S Act of 2018 (47 U.S.C. 1504).
            (4) Broadband internet access service.--The term 
        ``broadband internet access service'' has the meaning given 
        that term in section 8.1(b) of title 47, Code of Federal 
        Regulations, or any successor regulation.
            (5) Bureau-funded school.--The term ``bureau-funded 
        school'' has the meaning given the term in section 1141 of the 
        Education Amendments of 1978 (25 U.S.C. 2021).
            (6) Community anchor institution.--The term ``community 
        anchor institution'' has the meaning given the term in section 
        54.5 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations.
            (7) 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).
            (8) 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)).
            (9) Internet-capable device.--The term ``internet-capable 
        device'' means a desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet 
        computer, or similar device that is capable of connecting to 
        broadband internet access service, either by receiving such 
        service directly or through the use of Wi-Fi.
            (10) Library.--The term ``library'' has the meaning given 
        the term in section 213 of the Museum and Library Services Act 
        (20 U.S.C. 9122) including only--
                    (A) a public library;
                    (B) a public elementary school or secondary school 
                library;
                    (C) a Tribal library; and
                    (D) an academic library.
            (11) Refurbish.--The term ``refurbish'' means the process 
        to repair the condition of or update the software of an 
        internet-capable device in such a form and in such a manner so 
        that such device is capable of accessing and performing tasks 
        or services through broadband internet access service.
            (12) State.--The term ``State'' means the 50 States, the 
        District of Columbia, and the territories and possessions of 
        the United States.
            (13) State educational agency.--The term ``State 
        educational agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 
        300.41 of title 34, Code of Federal Regulations.
            (14) State library administrative agency.--The term ``State 
        library administrative agency'' has the meaning given the term 
        in section 213 of the Museum and Library Services Act (20 
        U.S.C. 9122).
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