[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5494 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 5494

  To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to improve access by Indian 
   Tribes to support from universal service programs of the Federal 
           Communications Commission, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 14, 2023

 Ms. Leger Fernandez introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to improve access by Indian 
   Tribes to support from universal service programs of the Federal 
           Communications Commission, 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 ``Tribal Connect Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. TRIBAL ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS AND UNIVERSAL 
              SERVICE SUPPORT.

    Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (h)(4), by inserting ``, except as 
        provided in subsection (m)(2)(C),'' before ``is a library or 
        library consortium''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(m) Tribal Essential Community-Serving Institutions and Universal 
Service Support.--
            ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection--
                    ``(A) the term `broadband internet access service' 
                has the meaning given the term in section 8.1(b) of 
                title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor 
                regulation);
                    ``(B) the term `E-rate program' means the universal 
                service support mechanism for schools and libraries 
                authorized under subsection (h)(1)(B), the rules of 
                which are set forth under subpart F of part 54 of title 
                47, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor 
                regulations), as authorized under subsection (h)(2)(A);
                    ``(C) the term `essential community-serving 
                institution' means a facility exclusively owned by an 
                Indian Tribe, including--
                            ``(i) a Tribal government building, chapter 
                        house, longhouse, community center, senior 
                        center, or after-school facility; or
                            ``(ii) any other public building similar to 
                        a building described in clause (i);
                    ``(D) the term `High-Cost Program' means the 
                program under which universal service support is 
                awarded in high-cost areas in accordance with subpart D 
                of part 54 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (or 
                any successor regulations), as authorized under 
                subsection (e); and
                    ``(E) the term `Indian Tribe' has the meaning given 
                the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination 
                and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
            ``(2) Tribal essential community-serving institution pilot 
        program.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 180 days after 
                the date of enactment of the Tribal Connect Act of 
                2023, the Commission, in consultation with the 
                Institute of Museum and Library Services and any other 
                agency with relevant responsibilities, shall initiate, 
                as part of the universal service support programs 
                carried out under this section, either as part of the 
                High-Cost Program or as a standalone universal service 
                pilot program, a pilot program to be known as the 
                `Tribal Essential Community-Serving Institution 
                Program'--
                            ``(i) under which the Commission shall--
                                    ``(I) provide an opportunity for 
                                Indian Tribes to request broadband 
                                internet access service at essential 
                                community-serving institutions located 
                                on Tribal land; and
                                    ``(II) authorize support for the 
                                development of infrastructure to 
                                provide the services requested under 
                                subclause (I) in a manner similar to 
                                the deployment supported under the 
                                High-Cost Program; and
                            ``(ii) which shall remain in effect through 
                        the end of fiscal year 2027.
                    ``(B) Eligibility.--Universal service support 
                obtained under this paragraph shall only be available 
                if the applicable essential community-serving 
                institution intends to deliver publicly available 
                broadband internet access service and 
                telecommunications services to students, teachers, 
                librarians, and members of the community.
                    ``(C) Eligibility for support after the pilot 
                program.--An essential community-serving institution 
                that receives universal service support under this 
                paragraph shall, after the conclusion of the pilot 
                program described in subparagraph (A), be eligible for 
                universal service support through existing (as of the 
                date on which that pilot program concludes) and future 
                universal service fund programs.
                    ``(D) Use of contributions.--Of amounts collected 
                under subsection (d), not more than $300,000,000 shall 
                be made available to carry out the pilot program 
                described in subparagraph (A).
            ``(3) Training and technical assistance for indian tribes 
        and essential community-serving institutions.--
                    ``(A) Technical assistance; annual reports.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The Commission shall--
                                    ``(I) direct the administrator of 
                                the universal service support programs 
                                under this section to--
                                            ``(aa) provide technical 
                                        assistance to ensure that 
                                        Indian Tribes can participate 
                                        fully and effectively in the 
                                        universal service programs, 
                                        including the E-rate program, 
                                        including by conducting--

                                                    ``(AA) outreach 
                                                efforts targeted to 
                                                Tribal schools and 
                                                libraries, essential 
                                                community-serving 
                                                institutions, and 
                                                Indian Tribes that do 
                                                not have schools and 
                                                libraries to promote 
                                                awareness of the E-rate 
                                                program and the pilot 
                                                program described in 
                                                paragraph (2)(A); and

                                                    ``(BB) specific 
                                                training programs for 
                                                Tribal schools and 
                                                libraries, essential 
                                                community-serving 
                                                institutions, and 
                                                Indian Tribes; and

                                            ``(bb) submit to the 
                                        Commission an annual report 
                                        regarding the provision of the 
                                        technical assistance required 
                                        under item (aa) during the year 
                                        covered by the report; and
                                    ``(II) submit each annual report 
                                received under subclause (I)(bb) to--
                                            ``(aa) the Committee on 
                                        Commerce, Science, and 
                                        Transportation of the Senate;
                                            ``(bb) the Committee on 
                                        Indian Affairs of the Senate;
                                            ``(cc) the Committee on 
                                        Energy and Commerce of the 
                                        House of Representatives; and
                                            ``(dd) the Committee on 
                                        Natural Resources of the House 
                                        of Representatives.
                            ``(ii) Authorization of appropriations.--
                        There are authorized to be appropriated 
                        $25,000,000 to provide the technical assistance 
                        required under clause (i)(I)(aa) for fiscal 
                        years 2024 through 2027.
                    ``(B) Review of annual reports.--The Commission 
                shall--
                            ``(i) review each annual report received 
                        under subparagraph (A)(i)(I)(bb) to determine 
                        whether additional steps are necessary to 
                        ensure that Indian Tribes can participate fully 
                        and effectively in the universal service 
                        programs, including the E-rate program, so that 
                        all students who are members of Indian Tribes 
                        can have access to robust, high-speed broadband 
                        internet access service connections; and
                            ``(ii) in conducting a review required 
                        under clause (i), consider the resources 
                        available to Tribal members through the entity 
                        responsible for administering the universal 
                        service programs established under this 
                        section.
                    ``(C) Grants.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The Institute of Museum 
                        and Library Services shall make direct grants 
                        to essential community-serving institutions, 
                        including Tribal libraries and schools, and 
                        Indian Tribes for technical assistance 
                        initiatives regarding the application process 
                        for the E-rate program and the pilot program 
                        established under paragraph (2)(A).
                            ``(ii) Coordination.--The Institute of 
                        Museum and Library Services shall coordinate 
                        with the Commission and the entity responsible 
                        for administering the universal service 
                        programs established under this section to--
                                    ``(I) promote public awareness of 
                                the grants described in clause (i); and
                                    ``(II) adjudicate application 
                                decisions relating to the grants 
                                described in clause (i).
                            ``(iii) Authorization of appropriations.--
                        There are authorized to be appropriated 
                        $25,000,000 to make the grants described in 
                        clause (i).
            ``(4) Coordination and performance measurement.--The 
        Commission shall--
                    ``(A) improve the reliability of the data of the 
                Commission relating to institutions that receive 
                universal service support by defining the term `Tribal' 
                on the application for any such support;
                    ``(B) develop performance goals and measures to 
                track progress on achieving the strategic objective of 
                the Commission of ensuring that all Indian Tribes have 
                affordable access to broadband internet access service 
                for educational purposes for students, teachers, 
                librarians, and members of the community;
                    ``(C) in coordination with the Institute of Museum 
                and Library Services, identify, in the United States, 
                all--
                            ``(i) Tribal libraries;
                            ``(ii) developing Tribal libraries; and
                            ``(iii) Indian Tribes without adequate 
                        library services; and
                    ``(D) not later than 2 years after the date of 
                enactment of the Tribal Connect Act of 2023, submit to 
                Congress and make public a report on the goals and 
                measures developed under subparagraph (B) and the list 
                of libraries and Indian Tribes identified under 
                subparagraph (C).''.
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