,,iv #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #aadd ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,september #bc1 #bjbj,ms4 ,haaland 7for herself and ,mr4 ,khanna7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce ,,resolution ,recognizing broadband as a human and civil right for all ,americans4 ,whereas1 in #bjaf1 the ,united ,nations ,human ,rights ,council passed a resolution affirming that the same rights people have offline must be protected online and called for countries to promote and facilitate access to the internet to develop knowledgeable societies with the realization of the right to freedom of expression1 the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association1 and the right to education2 ,whereas the ,first ,amendment to the ,constitution protects the freedom of speech and expression for all persons1 and the ,supreme ,court has ruled that speech and expression on the internet is included in such protections2 ,whereas the ,federal ,communications ,commission 7,,fcc7 published the ,national ,broadband ,plan in #bjaj to bring broadband to all ,americans but1 as of #bjbj1 #bb4c percent of ,americans living in rural areas lacked access to fixed broadband services1 compared to only #a4e percent of ,americans living in urban areas2 ,whereas digital divides contribute to and exacerbate poverty and inequality in modern society by prohibiting equal access to public services1 employment opportunities1 educational resources1 basic liberties1 and fundamental rights guaranteed to all ,americans2 ,whereas1 in ,april #bjbj1 the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services found that more than #a in #f people with incomes below the ,federal poverty level had no access to the internet1 and #ah percent of people with incomes below #ajj percent of the ,federal poverty level lacked internet access1 compared to only #c percent of people with incomes at or above #djj percent of the ,federal poverty level2 ,whereas1 in #bjah1 the ,government ,accountability ,office 7,,gao7 found that only #fe percent of ,american ,indians1 ,alaska ,natives1 and ,native ,hawaiians living on ,tribal lands had access to fixed broadband services1 and only #fi percent of households on ,tribal lands have telephone services2 ,whereas the ,bureau of ,indian ,education 7,,bie7 estimates that up to #ie percent of students attending ,,bie facilities lack residential internet services during the ,,covid-#ai pandemic2 ,whereas the ,,gao has further found that ,,fcc data has overstated statistics relating to broadband availability and digital access on ,tribal lands in the ,united ,states2 ,whereas the #bjag statistics of the ,national ,center for ,education ,statistics in the ,department of ,education showed that #cd4a percent of all higher education students engage in some form of online education courses1 a #e4g-percent increase in enrollment in online higher education from the previous year2 ,whereas the percentage of students enrolled in online education courses significantly increased during the pandemic and educational administrators have made remote and online learning for the #bjbj-bjba academic year available to avoid public health risks2 ,whereas increased access to broadband promotes economic competition1 entrepreneurship1 and efficiency2 ,whereas the ,world ,bank found that every #aj percent increase in fixed broadband penetration accelerates economic growth by #a4ba percent in developed economies and #a4ch percent in developing economies2 ,whereas counties with higher rates of broadband availability have lower unemployment rates1 and broadband helps service industry businesses overcome geographic barriers that have traditionally hampered rural growth2 ,whereas the ,american ,medical ,informatics ,association and other public health experts have called access to wireless broadband services a social determinant of health2 ,whereas data from the ,american ,community ,survey of the ,bureau of the ,census shows that approximately #e1jjj1jjj households with school-age children do not have high-speed internet access at home1 with a disproportionate share being low-income ,african-,american or ,hispanic_/,latino households1 and low-income households are #d times more likely than middle- or high-income households to lack broadband access2 ,whereas the ,united ,states is a signatory of the ,convention on the ,rights of ,persons with ,disabilities1 which calls on countries to take appropriate measures to promote access for persons with disabilities to new information and communication technology and systems1 which can only be achieved through continued access to communication technologies2 and ,whereas intentional disruptions of internet access have been used in countries across the globe to crack down on human rights1 limit communication1 and harm freedom of association3 ,now1 therefore1 be it #a4 ,short title ,this resolution may be cited as the ,broadband for ,all ,resolution of #bjbj4 #b4 ,recognizing broadband as a human and civil right for all ,americans ,the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 recognizes that equal access to affordable and reliable fixed broadband services for all ,americans is a civil and human right that protects and promotes the fair1 equal1 and impartial treatment of all people regardless of race1 sex1 nationality1 ethnicity1 language1 religion1 economic status1 or any other status2 7#b7 asserts that affordable access to broadband enables the promotion and propagation of human rights1 including equal access to information1 government services1 use of public facilities1 freedom from discrimination1 freedom of expression1 freedom of peaceful assembly and association1 and the right to education2 7#c7 recognizes that affordable access to broadband promotes equal access for engagement in our democracy and the exercise of constitutionally vested rights2 7#d7 reaffirms the global and open nature of the internet as a driving force in accelerating progress toward development in its various forms1 including achieving the ,sustainable ,development ,goals of the ,united ,nations2 7#e7 acknowledges that the human right to affordable access to broadband may only be limited or restricted if such restriction is provided for by law and is nondiscriminatory1 necessary1 and proportionate to a legitimate purpose1 such as to protect the rights of others1 national security1 or to protect public order or health2 and 7#f7 calls on the ,president-- 7,a7 to preserve and build upon the technological leadership of the ,federal ,government and ,federal funding opportunities for all ,americans to affordable access to fixed broadband services and infrastructure development to bridge the digital divide1 especially for low-income households and households with incomes below the ,federal poverty line2 7,b7 to preserve and build upon the technological leadership of the ,federal ,government and ,federal funding opportunities for fixed broadband expansion and infrastructure development1 especially in rural areas and on ,tribal lands1 and in broadband deserts2 7,c7 to ensure that ,tribal sovereignty over access to electromagnetic spectrum on ,tribal lands is protected as part of the ,federal trust responsibility in furtherance of ,tribal self-governance2 and 7,d7 to further address the threat posed by lack of affordable access to broadband to the civil and human rights of all ,americans1 especially since the ,,covid-#ai pandemic has further highlighted the growing digital divide in the ,united ,states4