SEC. 7402. Funding for E-Rate support for emergency educational connections and devices.
(a) Regulations required.—Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall promulgate regulations providing for the provision, from amounts made available from the Emergency Connectivity Fund, of support under paragraphs (1)(B) and (2) of section 254(h) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(h)) to an eligible school or library, for the purchase during a COVID–19 emergency period of eligible equipment or advanced telecommunications and information services (or both), for use by—
(1) in the case of a school, students and staff of the school at locations that include locations other than the school; and
(2) in the case of a library, patrons of the library at locations that include locations other than the library.
(b) Support amount.—In providing support under the covered regulations, the Commission shall reimburse 100 percent of the costs associated with the eligible equipment, advanced telecommunications and information services, or eligible equipment and advanced telecommunications and information services, except that any reimbursement of a school or library for the costs associated with any eligible equipment may not exceed an amount that the Commission determines, with respect to the request by the school or library for the reimbursement, is reasonable.
(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 September 30, 2030, 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)).
(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.
