Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act
Summary
Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2026, revises, and establishes grants and activities to promote access to telecommunications services, including broadband internet. The bill addresses digital equity and inclusion through grants and by requiring studies on barriers to adopting broadband services and related matters. The bill addresses broadband affordability and access. It (1) reauthorizes and expands programs that subsidize or support broadband services for, among others, eligible households, schools, and minority communities; and (2) establishes a program for expanding broadband service for underserved areas and community support organizations (e.g., religious organizations). Additionally, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must expand programs that verify an individual's eligibility for subsidized telecommunications services. The bill addresses matters concerning broadband data. The FCC must (1) issue rules for collecting pricing data and labels for disclosing information about broadband plans to consumers, and (2) collaborate and share data with federal agencies and stakeholders. The bill makes financing (e.g., low-interest loans) available to communities and public-private partnerships for broadband infrastructure investments and creates grants to establish or expand certain internet exchange facilities and submarine cable landing stations. Additionally, the Department of Transportation must require states to install conduits for broadband cables as part of certain highway projects. The bill also sets up a task force on nationwide dig once requirements (i.e., policies or practices to minimize excavations of highway rights-of-way when installing telecommunications infrastructure). Further, the bill preempts state laws that prohibit certain telecommunications service providers (e.g., public providers) from providing high-speed broadband services.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2021
Committee Review
Floor Vote
President
Introduced Mar 15, 2021
Last action Mar 15, 2021
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
2
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Mar 15, 2021
Committee
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
upper
Mar 15, 2021
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
1 primary · 18 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Amy Klobuchar
DDemocratic
Co
Ben Ray Luján
DDemocratic
Co
Brian Schatz
DDemocratic
Co
Catherine Cortez Masto
DDemocratic
Co
Cory A. Booker
DDemocratic
Co
Edward J. Markey
DDemocratic
Co
Elizabeth Warren
DDemocratic
Co
Jack Reed
DDemocratic
Co
Jacky Rosen
DDemocratic
Co
Jeff Merkley
DDemocratic
Co
Kirsten E. Gillibrand
DDemocratic
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