,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #deae ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,august #f1 #bjbj,mr4 ,manchin 7for himself and ,mr4 ,cornyn7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,appropriations ,a ,,bill ,to provide funding for internet-connected devices and associated internet connectivity services4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,accelerating ,connected ,care and ,education ,support ,services on the ,internet ,act or the ,,access the ,internet ,act4 #b4 ,education 7a7 ,direct ,appropriation ,out of amounts in the ,treasury not otherwise appropriated1 there is appropriated to the ,elementary and ,secondary ,school ,emergency ,relief ,fund established under section #ahjja7;b77#b7 of the ,,cares ,act 7,public ,law #aaf-acf71 #a1cjj1jjj1jjj to make elementary and secondary school emergency relief grants to ,state educational agencies1 in accordance with subsection 7b71 for the purchase of internet-connected devices and associated internet connectivity services to support distance learning at elementary schools and secondary schools4 ,the ,secretary of ,education shall make such grants not later than #cj days after the date of enactment of this ,act4 7b7 ,allocation of funding 7#a7 ,rural schools 7,a7 ,in ,general ,from the amounts made available for this section1 the ,secretary shall use #bfj1jjj1jjj to allocate funds to each ,state that received funds under the ,rural and ,low-,income ,school ,program under subpart #b of part ,b of title ,v of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #gcea et seq47 in the same proportion as each such ,state received funds under that subpart for fiscal year #bjai4 7,b7 ,subgrants ,not later than #cj days after receipt of funds under this paragraph1 a ,state educational agency shall allocate those funds to rural local educational agencies in the ,state in the same proportion as each rural local educational agency received funds under the ,rural and ,low-,income ,school ,program under subpart #b of part ,b of title ,v of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #gcea et seq47 for fiscal year #bjai to enable those rural local educational agencies to carry out the activities described in subsection 7a74 7#b7 ,state educational agencies 7,a7 ,in ,general ,from the amounts made available to carry out this section1 the ,secretary shall use #a1jdj1jjj1jjj to allocate funds to each ,state in the same proportion as each ,state received funds under part ,a of title ,i of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #fcaa et seq47 for fiscal year #bjai4 7,b7 ,subgrants ,not later than #cj days after receipt of funds under this paragraph1 a ,state educational agency shall allocate those funds to local educational agencies in the ,state in proportion to the amount of funds such local educational agencies received under part ,a of title ,i of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #fcaa et seq47 for fiscal year #bjai4 7c7 ,supplement not supplant ,grant funds provided under this section shall be used to supplement1 not supplant1 other ,federal or ,state funds available to carry out activities described in this section4 7d7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,,esea ,the terms elementary school1 local educational agency1 secondary school1 ,secretary1 ,state1 and ,state educational agency have the meanings given those terms in section #haja of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ghja74 7#b7 ,rural local educational agency ,the term rural local educational agency means a local educational agency that is eligible for funds under the ,rural and ,low-,income ,school ,program under subpart #b of part ,b of title ,v of the ,elementary and ,secondary ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #gcea et seq474 7e7 ,emergency designation 7#a7 ,in general ,the amounts provided under this section are designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section #d7;g7 of the ,statutory ,pay-,as-,you-,go ,act of #bjaj 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #icc7;g774 7#b7 ,designation in ,senate ,in the ,senate1 this section is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section #daab7;a7 of ,h4 ,con4 ,res4 #ga 7#aaeth ,congress71 the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year #bjah4 #c4 ,library ,services 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section1 the terms library1 ,state1 and ,state library administrative agency have the meanings given those terms in section #bac of the ,museum and ,library ,services ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #iabb74 7b7 ,pilot program 7#a7 ,direct ,appropriation ,out of amounts in the ,treasury not otherwise appropriated1 there is appropriated to the ,institute of ,museum and ,library ,services #bjj1jjj1jjj to carry out the pilot program under this section4 ,not later than #ba days after the date of enactment of this section1 the ,director of the ,institute of ,museum and ,library ,services shall establish a #b-year pilot program1 through which the ,director shall-- 7,a7 reserve #b4e percent of the amounts appropriated to carry out this section to make grants to ,indian ,tribes and to organizations that primarily serve and represent ,native ,hawaiians 7as the term is defined in section #fbjg of the ,native ,hawaiian ,education ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #geag77 to enable such tribes and organizations to carry out the activities described in subsection 7c72 and 7,b7 allocate grant funds to ,states in accordance with paragraph 7#b7 to enable ,states1 through the ,state library administrative agency1 as appropriate1 to carry out the activities described in subsection 7c74 7#b7 ,allotments to states 7,a7 ,minimum allotments 7i7 ,in ,general ,for purposes of this subsection1 the minimum allotment for each ,state shall be #a1fjj1jjj1 except that the minimum allotment shall be #afj1jjj in the case of the ,united ,states ,virgin ,islands1 ,guam1 ,american ,samoa1 the ,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands1 the ,republic of the ,marshall ,islands1 the ,federated ,states of ,micronesia1 and the ,republic of ,palau4 7ii7 ,ratable reduction ,notwithstanding clause 7i71 if the sum appropriated to carry out this section is insufficient to fully satisfy the requirement of clause 7i71 each of the minimum allotments under such clause shall be reduced ratably4 7,b7 ,remainder 7i7 ,in ,general ,from the remainder of any sums not reserved or allotted under subparagraph 7,a71 the ,director shall award grants to each ,state in an amount that bears the same relation to such remainder as the population of the ,state bears to the population of all ,states4 7ii7 ,data ,the population of each ,state and of all the ,states shall be determined by the ,director on the basis of the most recent data available from the ,bureau of the ,census4 7#c7 ,grants for ,indian ,tribes ,an ,indian tribe that is eligible for support under section #bfa of the ,library ,services and ,technology ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #iafa7 may designate a tribal library or tribal library consortium as a library or consortium that is eligible for grant funds under this section1 without regard to whether the library or library consortium is eligible for assistance from a ,state ,library ,administrative ,agency under the ,library ,services and ,technology ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #iaba et seq471 if the library or library consortium is eligible for support from an ,indian tribe under such section #bfa4 7c7 ,use of grant funds ,each ,state1 ,indian ,tribe1 or other entity receiving a grant1 contract1 or cooperative agreement under this section shall use funding under this section to-- 7#a7 expand digital network access by purchasing and distributing internet-connected devices1 such as hotspots1 to libraries in low-income and rural areas so that those libraries can allow individuals to borrow internet-connected devices for home use and install or upgrade public ,wi-,fi access points for use on or near library grounds2 7#b7 provide libraries with funds to pay the other expenses associated with such devices and services1 such as processing1 training1 associated connectivity1 hardware and support1 and other necessary expenses related to the retention of these devices and provision of these services2 or 7#c7 encourage existing and new partnerships between ,state and local governments1 libraries1 nonprofit entities1 agencies including the ,federal ,communications ,commission1 and telecommunication1 broadband1 and internet service providers to coordinate the distribution of hotspots and other internet-connected devices and services4 7d7 ,grants1 contracts1 or cooperative agreements ,from amounts appropriated to carry out this section1 #a1jjj1jjj shall be made available for the ,director of the ,institute of ,museum and ,library ,services for grants1 contracts1 or cooperative agreements with ,federal agencies1 public and private organizations1 and other entities determined to be eligible by the ,director to enable those agencies1 organizations1 and entities to carry out the activities described in subsection 7c74 7e7 ,emergency designation 7#a7 ,in general ,the amounts provided under this section are designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section #d7;g7 of the ,statutory ,pay-,as-,you-,go ,act of #bjaj 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #icc7;g774 7#b7 ,designation in ,senate ,in the ,senate1 this section is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section #daab7;a7 of ,h4 ,con4 ,res4 #ga 7#aaeth ,congress71 the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year #bjah4 #d4 ,,fcc ,,covid-#ai ,telehealth ,program 7a7 ,direct appropriation ,out of amounts in the ,treasury not otherwise appropriated1 there is appropriated to the ,federal ,communications ,commission #djj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbj to carry out the ,,covid-#ai ,telehealth ,program established by the ,commission under the authority provided under the heading ,salaries and expenses under the heading ,federal ,communications ,commission under the heading ,independent agencies in title ,v of division ,b of the ,,cares ,act 7,public ,law #aaf-acf2 #acd ,stat4 #bha71 to remain available until expended4 7b7 ,limitation 7#a7 ,in general ,not less than #hj1jjj1jjj of the amounts made available under subsection 7a7 shall be used to assist health care providers that-- 7,a7 are located in a rural area 7as defined in section #ed4fjj of title #dg1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 or any successor regulation72 and 7,b7 have fewer than #ejj employees4 7#b7 ,paperwork ,reduction ,act exemption ,a collection of information conducted or sponsored under regulations required to implement paragraph 7#a77;,b7 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 7c7 ,emergency designation 7#a7 ,in general ,the amounts provided under this section are designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section #d7;g7 of the ,statutory ,pay-,as-,you-,go ,act of #bjaj 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #icc7;g774 7#b7 ,designation in ,senate ,in the ,senate1 this section is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section #daab7;a7 of ,h4 ,con4 ,res4 #ga 7#aaeth ,congress71 the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year #bjah4 #e4 ,additional amounts for ,department of ,veterans ,affairs to purchase1 maintain1 and refresh devices and services for provision of telehealth services 7a7 ,direct ,appropriation ,out of amounts in the ,treasury not otherwise appropriated1 there is appropriated to the ,department of ,veterans ,affairs #ajj1jjj1jjj for ,telehealth and ,connected ,care1 ,connected ,care ,program ,funding3 ,sustainment and ,expansion1 ,home and ,community ,based ,services1 to be used-- 7#a7 to furnish internet-connected devices 7such as tablets7 and associated internet access services to veterans for purposes of providing such veterans with access to telehealth services from the ,department2 and 7#b7 to maintain and refresh such devices and services and any such devices and services previously provided to veterans for such purposes4 7b7 ,availability of amounts ,amounts appropriated under subsection 7a7 shall remain available for obligation until ,september #cj1 #bjbb4 7c7 ,priority ,in expending amounts to furnish1 maintain1 and refresh devices and internet access services for veterans as described in subsection 7a71 the ,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs shall prioritize-- 7#a7 veterans who are in unserved and underserved areas2 7#b7 veterans who reside in rural and highly rural areas1 as defined in the ,rural-,urban ,commuting ,areas coding system of the ,department of ,agriculture2 7#c7 low-income veterans2 and 7#d7 any other veterans that the ,secretary considers to be at a higher risk for suicide and mental health concerns during isolation periods due to a public health emergency4 7d7 ,emergency designation 7#a7 ,in general ,the amounts provided under this section are designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section #d7;g7 of the ,statutory ,pay-,as-,you-,go ,act of #bjaj 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #icc7;g774 7#b7 ,designation in ,senate ,in the ,senate1 this section is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section #daab7;a7 of ,h4 ,con4 ,res4 #ga 7#aaeth ,congress71 the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year #bjah4