,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #cgja ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #ab1 #bjbj,ms4 ,klobuchar 7for herself1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 ,mr4 ,peters1 and ,ms4 ,rosen7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to require the ,assistant ,secretary of ,commerce for ,communications and ,information1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,education1 to promulgate regulations to provide support to institutions of higher education for the provision of certain equipment and services to students of those institutions1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,supporting ,connectivity for ,higher ,education ,students in ,need ,act4 #b4 ,funds to support 7a7 ,regulations required 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #ad days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,assistant ,secretary1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,education1 shall promulgate regulations for the provision1 from amounts made available from the ,emergency ,higher ,education ,connectivity ,fund established under subsection 7d77#a71 of support to an institution of higher education for the purposes of providing eligible services and eligible equipment to students of that institution4 7#b7 ,content ,the regulations promulgated under paragraph 7#a7 shall-- 7,a7 prioritize support for-- 7i7 an institution of higher education that is eligible to receive a grant under part ,a or ,b of title ,,iii or title ,v of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajeg et seq41 #ajfj et seq41 #aaja et seq471 including-- 7,i7 a historically ,black college or university2 7,,ii7 a ,hispanic-serving institution2 7,,iii7 a ,tribal ,college or ,university2 and 7,,iv7 a minority-serving institution2 and 7ii7 a rural-serving institution2 7,b7 provide a mechanism to require an institution of higher education to prioritize the provision of an eligible service or eligible equipment to a student who-- 7i7 is eligible to receive a ,federal ,pell ,grant2 7ii7 is a recipient of any other need-based financial aid from the ,federal ,government1 a ,state1 or that institution of higher education2 7iii7 is eligible for a ,lifeline qualifying assistance program2 7iv7 is a low-income individual1 as that term is defined in section #cab7;g7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajeh7;g772 7v7 is a first generation college student1 as that term is defined in section #fdf4g of title #cd1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or any successor regulation72 7vi7 has been approved to receive ,federal or ,state unemployment insurance benefits since ,march #a1 #bjbj2 or 7vii7 the institution of higher education believes lacks necessary connectivity for participating in distance learning or academic and student support services2 7,c7 establish a schedule of reasonable per-student funding amounts for eligible services and eligible equipment supported under those regulations2 7,d7 provide that-- 7i7 an institution of higher education that purchases eligible equipment using support received under those regulations may1 after the termination of those regulations under subsection 7b71 use that eligible equipment for purposes that the institution considers appropriate1 subject to any restrictions provided in those regulations 7or any successor regulations that are promulgated on or before the termination date described in paragraph 7#a7 of that subsection72 7ii7 no person that receives support under those regulations may sell or otherwise transfer eligible support or eligible equipment in exchange for anything 7including a service7 of value1 except that such person may exchange that eligible equipment for upgraded equipment of the same type2 and 7iii7 an institution of higher education may use support received under those regulations to provide eligible services and eligible equipment in conjunction with other ,federal funding if the total amount of ,federal funding received by the institution is not greater than the cost of so providing the eligible services and eligible equipment2 and 7,e7 establish reasonable requirements-- 7i7 for an institution of higher education to apply for support under those regulations2 7ii7 for an institution of higher education to procure eligible services and eligible equipment with support obtained under those regulations2 7iii7 with respect to reporting1 recordkeeping1 retention of documents1 compliance1 and audits for an institution of higher education that receives support under those regulations2 7iv7 for payment and distribution of support to institutions of higher education under those regulations2 and 7v7 with respect to any other processes that the ,assistant ,secretary1 in consultation with the ,secretary of ,education1 determines to be appropriate4 7b7 ,termination of regulations 7#a7 ,in general ,subject to paragraph 7#b71 the regulations promulgated under subsection 7a7 shall terminate on the date that is #fj days after the date on which the public health emergency declared by the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services under section #cai of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bdg;d7 with respect to ,,covid-#ai1 or any renewal of that declaration1 terminates4 7#b7 ,continuity of funding ,if1 during the period in which the regulations promulgated under subsection 7a7 are in effect1 the ,assistant ,secretary makes a commitment to provide support to an institution of higher education under those regulations1 the ,assistant ,secretary may make a payment with respect to that commitment on any date that is on or before ,september #cj1 #bjba4 7c7 ,exemptions 7#a7 ,notice and comment rulemaking requirements ,subsections 7b71 7c71 and 7d7 of section #eec of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 shall not apply with respect to a regulation promulgated under subsection 7a7 of this section or a rulemaking to promulgate such a regulation4 7#b7 ,paperwork ,reduction ,act requirements ,a collection of information conducted or sponsored under the regulations promulgated under subsection 7a7 shall not constitute a collection of information for the purposes of subchapter ,i of chapter #ce of title #dd1 ,united ,states ,code 7commonly referred to as the ,paperwork ,reduction ,act74 7d7 ,emergency ,higher ,education ,connectivity ,fund 7#a7 ,establishment ,there is established in the ,treasury of the ,united ,states a fund to be known as the ,emergency ,higher ,education ,connectivity ,fund4 7#b7 ,appropriation ,there is appropriated to the ,emergency ,higher ,education ,connectivity ,fund1 out of any money in the ,treasury not otherwise appropriated1 #a1jjj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbj1 to remain available through fiscal year #bjba4 7#c7 ,use of funds ,amounts in the ,emergency ,higher ,education ,connectivity ,fund shall be available to the ,assistant ,secretary to provide support under the regulations promulgated under subsection 7a74 7e7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this section1 any regulation promulgated under this section1 or any policy established by an institution of higher education to implement this section or a regulation promulgated under this section may be construed to preclude any student from receiving support provided under this section or a regulation promulgated under this section4 7f7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,assistant ,secretary ,the term ,assistant ,secretary means the ,assistant ,secretary of ,commerce for ,communications and ,information4 7#b7 ,broadband internet access service ,the term broadband internet access service has the meaning given the term in section #h4a7;b7 of title #dg1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or any successor regulation74 7#c7 ,eligible equipment ,the term eligible equipment means any of the following3 7,a7 ,a laptop computer1 tablet computer1 or similar device capable of connecting to broadband internet access service4 7,b7 ,a modem4 7,c7 ,a router4 7,d7 ,a device that combines a modem and a router4 7,e7 ,a ,wi-,fi hotspot4 7#d7 ,eligible service ,the term eligible service means-- 7,a7 broadband internet access service2 and 7,b7 video-conferencing systems and services used for distance learning4 7#e7 ,federal ,pell ,grant ,the term ,federal ,pell ,grant means a grant under section #dja of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj;a74 7#f7 ,hispanic-serving institution ,the term ,hispanic-serving institution has the meaning given the term in section #ejb of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #aaja;a74 7#g7 ,historically ,black college or university ,the term historically ,black college or university has the meaning given the term part ,b institution in section #cbb of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajfa74 7#h7 ,institution of higher education ,the term institution of higher education means-- 7,a7 an institution of higher education1 as that term is defined in section #aja of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja72 or 7,b7 a postsecondary vocational institution1 as that term is defined in section #ajb7;c7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajjb7;c774 7#i7 ,lifeline qualifying assistance program ,the term ,lifeline qualifying assistance program means a program described in section #ed4djj7;j7 of title #dg1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or any successor regulation74 7#aj7 ,minority-serving institution ,the term minority-serving institution means any of the following3 7,a7 ,an ,alaska ,native-serving institution 7as that term is defined in section #cag7;b7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajei;d7b7774 7,b7 ,a ,native ,hawaiian-serving institution 7as that term is defined in section #cag7;b7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajei;d7b7774 7,c7 ,a ,predominantly ,black institution 7as that term is defined in section #cga7;c7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajfgq7c7774 7,d7 ,an ,asian ,american and ,native ,american ,pacific ,islander-serving institution 7as that term is defined in section #cbj7;b7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajei;g7b7774 7,e7 ,a ,native ,american-serving1 nontribal institution 7as that term is defined in section #cai7;b7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajei;f7b7774 7,f7 ,a consortium of any of the following3 7i7 ,a historically ,black college or university4 7ii7 ,a ,hispanic-serving institution4 7iii7 ,a ,tribal ,college or ,university4 7iv7 ,an institution described in any of subparagraphs 7,a7 through 7,e74 7#aa7 ,rural-serving institution ,the term rural-serving institution has the meaning given the term rural-serving institution of higher education in section #hfa7;b7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #aafaq7b774 7#ab7 ,state ,the term ,state has the meaning given the term in section #ajc of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajjc74 7#ac7 ,student ,the term student1 when used with respect to an institution of higher education1 means an individual who1 during the period in which the individual receives support under the regulations promulgated under subsection 7a71 is-- 7,a7 registered as a student with the institution2 7,b7 enrolled in not less than #a class of the institution2 or 7,c7 otherwise considered a student by the institution4 7#ad7 ,tribal ,college or ,university ,the term ,tribal ,college or ,university has the meaning given the term in section #caf of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajei;c74 7#ae7 ,wi-,fi ,the term ,wi-,fi means a wireless networking protocol based on ,institute of ,electrical and ,electronics ,engineers standard #hjb4aa 7or any successor standard74 7#af7 ,wi-,fi hotspot ,the term ,wi-,fi hotspot means a device that is capable of-- 7,a7 receiving broadband internet access service2 and 7,b7 sharing broadband internet access service with another device through the use of ,wi-,fi4