[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 42 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 42
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to continue in effect and
expand the Lifeline Assistance Program and the Link Up Program, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 4, 2007
Ms. Velazquez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to continue in effect and
expand the Lifeline Assistance Program and the Link Up Program, 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 ``Serving Everyone with Reliable,
Vital Internet, Communications, and Education Act of 2007''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Today's telecommunications market offers consumers an
array of social, economic, and educational communications.
(2) Communications today also offer Americans better access
to emergency assistance.
(3) It is essential to the Nation's continued progress for
all sectors of the population to have adequate access to
telecommunications. America must work to reduce and ultimately
eliminate the harmful technological divide.
(4) The Congress reaffirms the Nation's public policy
commitment to providing universal service. All consumers should
have access to high-quality telecommunications services at
affordable rates.
SEC. 3. UNIVERSAL SERVICE.
Subsection (j) of section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47
U.S.C. 254) is amended to read as follows:
``(j) Lifeline Assistance; Link Up America.--
``(1) Purposes.--The purposes of this subsection are--
``(A) to advance universal service; and
``(B) to ensure that high-quality
telecommunications services and other evolving
telecommunication technologies, such as Internet access
and broadband services, are available to low-income
consumers at just, reasonable, and affordable rates.
``(2) Continuation and expansion of programs.--For the
purposes described in paragraph (1), the Commission--
``(A) shall continue in effect the Lifeline
Assistance Program and the Link Up Program; and
``(B) expand such programs under paragraph (3).
``(3) Expansion.--The Commission shall expand the
assistance provided through the Lifeline Assistance Program and
the Link Up Program by allowing low-income consumers
participating in such programs to choose to use such assistance
for any one of the following:
``(A) Wire or wireless telephone service.
``(B) Internet access service.
``(C) Wire or wireless broadband service.
``(D) Any evolving technology the Commission deems
consistent with the purposes described in paragraph
(1).
``(4) Rule of construction.--This subsection shall not be
construed--
``(A) to affect any program under this section
other than the Lifeline Assistance Program or the Link
Up Program; or
``(B) except as inconsistent with the provisions of
this subsection, to affect the authority of the
Commission to make modifications to the Lifeline
Assistance Program or the Link Up Program.
``(5) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) The term `broadband service' means high-speed
Internet access service--
``(i) offering integrated access to voice
communications, high-speed data service, video-
demand services, and interactive delivery
services; and
``(ii) transmitting data at speeds
exceeding 200 kilobits per second, in at least
one direction, from the user's computer to the
Internet or from the Internet to the user's
computer.
``(B) The term `Lifeline Assistance Program' means
the Lifeline Assistance Program provided for by the
Commission under subpart E of title 47, Code of Federal
Regulations (and any related or successor regulations).
``(C) The term `Link Up Program' means the Link Up
Program provided for by the Commission under subpart E
of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (and any
related or successor regulations).''.
SEC. 4. STUDY.
(a) Study.--Not later than May 1, 2008, the Federal Communications
Commission shall conduct a study and submit a report to the Congress on
the following:
(1) The necessary benefit level for a household
participating in the Lifeline Assistance Program or the Link Up
Program which will encourage low-income consumers to seek
broadband service.
(2) Projections on the potential of new broadband service
consumers who would seek this service if economically
accessible.
(3) Industry requirements to provide broadband service
access in underserved areas.
(4) Data that accurately illustrates the extent of current
deployment of broadband service to residential users.
(5) Policy proposals conducive to addressing gaps in
broadband service availability.
(b) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``broadband service'',
``Lifeline Assistance Program'', and ``Link Up Program'' have the
meanings given to those terms in section 254(j) of the Communications
Act of 1934, as amended by section 3 of this Act.
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