[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8556 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8556

 To amend section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure that 
certain telecommunications assistance available to assist school buses 
 is preserved consistent with the Declaratory Ruling in the matter of 
Modernizing the E-Rate Program for Schools and Libraries adopted by the 
 Federal Communications Commission on October 19, 2023 (FCC 23-84; WC 
              Docket No. 13-184), and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 23, 2024

Mr. Schiff (for himself, Ms. Norton, Mrs. Napolitano, Ms. Sanchez, Mr. 
     Robert Garcia of California, Mr. McGovern, and Ms. Stansbury) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                          Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure that 
certain telecommunications assistance available to assist school buses 
 is preserved consistent with the Declaratory Ruling in the matter of 
Modernizing the E-Rate Program for Schools and Libraries adopted by the 
 Federal Communications Commission on October 19, 2023 (FCC 23-84; WC 
              Docket No. 13-184), 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 ``Clarifying E-Rate Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES FOR CERTAIN PROVIDERS.

    (a) School Buses and Other Locations Where Learning Occurs.--
Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(6), by striking ``and classrooms'' 
        and inserting ``(including classrooms associated with such 
        schools, buses associated with such schools (if owned, leased, 
        or contracted by a school and used primarily to transport 
        students to and from such school or activities related to such 
        school), and other locations where learning occurs as 
        determined appropriate by the Commission)'';
            (2) in subsection (h)(1)(B), by inserting ``(including, 
        with respect to schools, to classrooms associated with such 
        schools, buses associated with such schools (if owned, leased, 
        or contracted by a school and used primarily to transport 
        students to and from such school or activities related to such 
        school), and other locations where learning occurs as 
        determined appropriate by the Commission)'' after ``educational 
        purposes''; and
            (3) in subsection (h)(2)(A), by striking ``school 
        classrooms'' and inserting ``schools (including classrooms 
        associated with such schools, buses associated with such 
        schools (if owned, leased, or contracted by a school and used 
        primarily to transport students to and from such school or 
        activities related to such school), and other locations where 
        learning occurs as determined appropriate by the Commission)''.
    (b) Applicability.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall 
apply to amounts made available for funding year 2025 and each funding 
year thereafter.
    (c) Rule of Construction.--The amendments made by subsection (a) 
may not be construed to affect the authority of the Federal 
Communications Commission with respect to the Declaratory Ruling in the 
matter of Modernizing the E-Rate Program for Schools and Libraries 
adopted by the Commission on October 19, 2023 (FCC 23-84; WC Docket No. 
13-184).
    (d) Determinations.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission shall 
promulgate a notice of proposed rulemaking to--
            (1) specify, if any, additional locations where learning 
        occurs that the Commission determines appropriate for purposes 
        of subsections (b)(6), (h)(1)(B), and (h)(2)(A) of section 254 
        of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254), as amended 
        by this Act; and
            (2) establish an annual assessment process for determining 
        if further modifications are necessary with respect to such 
        additional locations.
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