[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 42 (Friday, March 5, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S1344]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 1223. Mr. LEE submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 891 proposed by Mr. Schumer (for himself, Mr. Wyden, Mrs.
Murray, Mr. Brown, Mr. Peters, Mr. Cardin, Ms. Cantwell, Ms. Stabenow,
Mr. Tester, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Carper, Mr. Leahy, and Mr.
Sanders) to the bill H.R. 1319, to provide for reconciliation pursuant
to title II of S. Con. Res. 5; which was ordered to lie on the table;
as follows:
In section 7402, strike subsections (c) and (d) and insert
the following:
(c) Emergency Connectivity Fund.--
(1) Establishment.--There is established in the Treasury of
the United States a fund to be known as the ``Emergency
Connectivity Fund''.
(2) Appropriation.--In addition to amounts otherwise
available, there is appropriated to the Emergency
Connectivity Fund for fiscal year 2021, out of any money in
the Treasury not otherwise appropriated--
(A) $7,171,000,000, to remain available until July 31,
2021, after which any amounts remaining in the Emergency
Connectivity Fund shall be deposited in the general fund of
the Treasury, for--
(i) the provision of support under the covered regulations;
and
(ii) the Commission to adopt, and the Commission and the
Universal Service Administrative Company to administer, the
covered regulations; and
(B) $1,000,000, to remain available until September 30,
2030, for the Inspector General of the Commission to conduct
oversight of support provided under the covered regulations.
(3) Limitation.--Not more than 2 percent of the amount made
available under paragraph (2)(A) may be used for the purposes
described in clause (ii) of such paragraph.
(4) Relationship to universal service contributions.--
Support provided under the covered regulations shall be
provided from amounts made available from the Emergency
Connectivity Fund and not from contributions under section
254(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(d)).
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Advanced telecommunications and information services.--
The term ``advanced telecommunications and information
services'' means advanced telecommunications and information
services, as such term is used in section 254(h) of the
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(h)).
(2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal
Communications Commission.
(3) Connected device.--The term ``connected device'' means
a laptop computer, tablet computer, or similar end-user
device that is capable of connecting to advanced
telecommunications and information services.
(4) Covered regulations.--The term ``covered regulations''
means the regulations promulgated under subsection (a).
(5) COVID-19 emergency period.--The term ``COVID-19
emergency period'' means a period that--
(A) begins on the date of a determination by the Secretary
of Health and Human Services pursuant to section 319 of the
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) that a public
health emergency exists as a result of COVID-19; and
(B) ends on the June 30 that first occurs after the date
that is 1 year after the date on which such determination
(including any renewal thereof) terminates.
(6) Eligible equipment.--The term ``eligible equipment''
means the following:
(A) Wi-Fi hotspots.
(B) Modems.
(C) Routers.
(D) Devices that combine a modem and router.
(E) Connected devices.
(7) Eligible school or library.--The term ``eligible school
or library'' means an elementary school, secondary school, or
library (including a Tribal elementary school, Tribal
secondary school, or Tribal library) eligible for support
under paragraphs (1)(B) and (2) of section 254(h) of the
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(h)) that did not
receive funds under the CARES Act (Public Law 116-136) (or an
amendment made by that Act) or the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260) (or an
amendment made by that Act).
(8) Emergency connectivity fund.--The term ``Emergency
Connectivity Fund'' means the fund established under
subsection (c)(1).
(9) Library.--The term ``library'' includes a library
consortium.
(10) Wi-fi.--The term ``Wi-Fi'' means a wireless networking
protocol based on Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers standard 802.11 (or any successor standard).
(11) Wi-fi hotspot.--The term ``Wi-Fi hotspot'' means a
device that is capable of--
(A) receiving advanced telecommunications and information
services; and
(B) sharing such services with a connected device through
the use of Wi-Fi.
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