[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1721 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1721
To amend the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 to authorize
additional funds for the Emergency Broadband Connectivity Fund, to
provide grants to States and Tribal Entities to strengthen the National
Lifeline Eligibility Verifier, to provide for Federal coordination
between the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier and the National
Accuracy Clearinghouse, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 9, 2021
Mr. Veasey (for himself and Ms. Blunt Rochester) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 to authorize
additional funds for the Emergency Broadband Connectivity Fund, to
provide grants to States and Tribal Entities to strengthen the National
Lifeline Eligibility Verifier, to provide for Federal coordination
between the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier and the National
Accuracy Clearinghouse, 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. AUTHORIZATION FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE EMERGENCY
BROADBAND CONNECTIVITY FUND.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Emergency Broadband
Connectivity Fund established under subsection (i) of section 904 of
title IX of division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021
(Public Law 116-260) $6,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2022 for the
purposes described in paragraph (3) of such subsection, and such amount
is authorized to remain available until fiscal year 2026.
SEC. 2. GRANTS TO STATES TO STRENGTHEN NATIONAL LIFELINE ELIGIBILITY
VERIFIER.
(a) In General.--Not later than 45 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall establish a program to
provide a grant, from amounts appropriated under subsection (d), to
each eligible entity for the purpose described under subsection (b).
(b) Purpose.--The Commission shall make a grant to each eligible
entity for the purpose of establishing or amending a connection between
the databases of such entity that contain information concerning the
receipt by a household, or a member of a household, of benefits under a
program administered by such entity (including any benefit provided
under the supplemental nutrition assistance program under the Food and
Nutrition Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.)) and the National
Lifeline Eligibility Verifier so that the receipt by a household, or a
member of a household, of benefits under such benefits program--
(1) is reflected in the National Lifeline Eligibility
Verifier; and
(2) can be used to verify eligibility for--
(A) the Lifeline program established under subpart
E, part 54, of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations
(or any successor regulation); and
(B) the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program
established under section 904(b) of title IX of
division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021
(Public Law 116-260).
(c) Disbursement of Grant Funds.--Not later than 60 days after the
program established under subsection (a) is established, funds provided
under each grant made under such subsection shall be disbursed to the
entity receiving such grant.
(d) Authorization of Appropriation.--There are authorized to be
appropriated $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2022 for the purposes of
carrying out this section, and such amount is authorized to remain
available until fiscal year 2026.
(e) Eligible Entities.--In this section, the term ``eligible
entity'' means an entity that--
(1) is a State or Tribal entity; and
(2) not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, submits to the Commission an application
containing such information as the Commission may require.
SEC. 3. FEDERAL COORDINATION BETWEEN NATIONAL ELIGIBILITY VERIFIER AND
NATIONAL ACCURACY CLEARINGHOUSE.
Notwithstanding section 11(x)(2)(C)(i) of the Food and Nutrition
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2020(x)(2)(C)(i)), not later than 180 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall, in
coordination with the Secretary of Agriculture, establish an automated
connection, to the maximum extent practicable, between the National
Lifeline Eligibility Verifier and the National Accuracy Clearinghouse
established under section 11(x) of the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008
(7 U.S.C. 2020(x)) for the supplemental nutrition assistance program.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Automated connection.--The term ``automated
connection'' means a connection between two or more information
systems where the manual input of information in one system
leads to the automatic input of the same information into any
other connected system.
(2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal
Communications Commission.
(3) National lifeline eligibility verifier.--The term
``National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier'' has the meaning
given such term in section 54.400 of title 47, Code of Federal
Regulations (or any successor regulation).
(4) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given such
term in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C.
153).
(5) Tribal entity.--The term ``Tribal entity'' means any of
the following:
(A) The governing body of any Indian or Alaska
Native Tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, community,
component band, or component reservation, individually
recognized (including parenthetically) in the list
published most recently as of the date of enactment of
this Act pursuant to section 104 of the Federally
Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C.
5131).
(B) The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.
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