,i #aagth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #agba ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,march #i1 #bjba ,mr4 ,veasey 7for himself and ,ms4 ,blunt ,rochester7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and in addition to the ,committee on ,agriculture1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,consolidated ,appropriations ,act1 #bjba to authorize additional funds for the ,emergency ,broadband ,connectivity ,fund1 to provide grants to ,states and ,tribal ,entities to strengthen the ,national ,lifeline ,eligibility ,verifier1 to provide for ,federal coordination between the ,national ,lifeline ,eligibility ,verifier and the ,national ,accuracy ,clearinghouse1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,authorization for ,additional ,funds for the ,emergency ,broadband ,connectivity ,fund ,there are authorized to be appropriated to the ,emergency ,broadband ,connectivity ,fund established under subsection 7i7 of section #ijd of title ,,ix of division ,n of the ,consolidated ,appropriations ,act1 #bjba 7,public ,law #aaf-bfj7 #f1jjj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbb for the purposes described in paragraph 7#c7 of such subsection1 and such amount is authorized to remain available until fiscal year #bjbf4 #b4 ,grants to ,states to strengthen ,national ,lifeline ,eligibility ,verifier 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #de days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,commission shall establish a program to provide a grant1 from amounts appropriated under subsection 7d71 to each eligible entity for the purpose described under subsection 7b74 7b7 ,purpose ,the ,commission shall make a grant to each eligible entity for the purpose of establishing or amending a connection between the databases of such entity that contain information concerning the receipt by a household1 or a member of a household1 of benefits under a program administered by such entity 7including any benefit provided under the supplemental nutrition assistance program under the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjaa et seq477 and the ,national ,lifeline ,eligibility ,verifier so that the receipt by a household1 or a member of a household1 of benefits under such benefits program-- 7#a7 is reflected in the ,national ,lifeline ,eligibility ,verifier2 and 7#b7 can be used to verify eligibility for-- 7,a7 the ,lifeline program established under subpart ,e1 part #ed1 of title #dg1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or any successor regulation72 and 7,b7 the ,emergency ,broadband ,benefit ,program established under section #ijd7;b7 of title ,,ix of division ,n of the ,consolidated ,appropriations ,act1 #bjba 7,public ,law #aaf-bfj74 7c7 ,disbursement of grant funds ,not later than #fj days after the program established under subsection 7a7 is established1 funds provided under each grant made under such subsection shall be disbursed to the entity receiving such grant4 7d7 ,authorization of appropriation ,there are authorized to be appropriated #bjj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbb for the purposes of carrying out this section1 and such amount is authorized to remain available until fiscal year #bjbf4 7e7 ,eligible entities ,in this section1 the term eligible entity means an entity that-- 7#a7 is a ,state or ,tribal entity2 and 7#b7 not later than #cj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 submits to the ,commission an application containing such information as the ,commission may require4 #c4 ,federal coordination between ,national ,eligibility ,verifier and ,national ,accuracy ,clearinghouse ,notwithstanding section #aa7x77#b77;,c77i7 of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjbj7x77#b77;,c77i771 not later than #ahj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,commission shall1 in coordination with the ,secretary of ,agriculture1 establish an automated connection1 to the maximum extent practicable1 between the ,national ,lifeline ,eligibility ,verifier and the ,national ,accuracy ,clearinghouse established under section #aa7x7 of the ,food and ,nutrition ,act of #bjjh 7#g ,u4,s4,c4 #bjbj7x77 for the supplemental nutrition assistance program4 #d4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,automated connection ,the term automated connection means a connection between two or more information systems where the manual input of information in one system leads to the automatic input of the same information into any other connected system4 7#b7 ,commission ,the term ,commission means the ,federal ,communications ,commission4 7#c7 ,national ,lifeline ,eligibility ,verifier ,the term ,national ,lifeline ,eligibility ,verifier has the meaning given such term in section #ed4djj of title #dg1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or any successor regulation74 7#d7 ,state ,the term ,state has the meaning given such term in section #c of the ,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #aec74 7#e7 ,tribal entity ,the term ,tribal entity means any of the following3 7,a7 ,the governing body of any ,indian or ,alaska ,native ,tribe1 band1 nation1 pueblo1 village1 community1 component band1 or component reservation1 individually recognized 7including parenthetically7 in the list published most recently as of the date of enactment of this ,act pursuant to section #ajd of the ,federally ,recognized ,indian ,tribe ,list ,act of #aiid 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #eaca74 7,b7 ,the ,department of ,hawaiian ,home ,lands4