,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bgbi  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #ad1
 #bjba,mr4 ,warnock introduced the      
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
  ,a ,,bill  ,to direct the ,federal    
,communications ,commission to establish
 a program through which eligible       
individuals may obtain vouchers for the 
purchase of connected devices1 and for  
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,device ,access
 for ,every ,american ,act4  #b4        
,findings ,congress finds that-- 7#a7   
approximately #be percent of adults in  
the ,united ,states do not own a        
computer2  7#b7 #d1djj1jjj households   
with students still lack consistent     
access to a computer1 which prevents    
those students from completing          
schoolwork2  7#c7 there are no reliable 
estimates about the number of students  
forced to share a computer with another 

member of their household1 potentially  
forcing the household to choose between 
important online activities such as work
 and learning2  7#d7 for those          
households without a computer or tablet1
 most cannot afford one2 and  7#e7 while
 computer access is nearly ubiquitous   
among high-income households1 #dj       
percent of low-income adults lack a     
computer4  #c4 ,definitions ,in this    
,act3 7#a7 ,commission ,the term        
,commission means the ,federal          
,communications ,commission4  7#b7      
,connected device ,the term connected   
device means any of the following3 7,a7 
,a desktop computer4  7,b7 ,a laptop    
computer4  7,c7 ,a tablet computer4     
7,d7 ,any similar device 7except for a  
telephone or smartphone7 that the       
,commission determines should be        
eligible for the use of a voucher under 
the program4  7#c7 ,eligible expenses   
,the term eligible expenses means1 with 
respect to a connected device-- 7,a7 the
 retail price of the connected device2  

7,b7 any sales taxes collected by the   
retailer with respect to the sale of the
 connected device2  7,c7 any shipping   
charges assessed by the retailer with   
respect to the connected device2 and    
7,d7 any reasonable 7as defined by the  
,commission7 product warranty and       
technical support services4  7#d7       
,eligible individual ,the term eligible 
individual means an individual who is a 
member of an eligible household1 as     
defined in section #ijd7;a77#f7 of      
division ,n of the ,consolidated        
,appropriations ,act1 #bjba 7,public    
,law #aaf-bfj71 except that-- 7,a7 in   
determining under subparagraph 7,a7 of  
such section #ijd7;a77#f7 for purposes  
of this paragraph whether at least #a   
member of the household meets the       
qualifications in subsection 7a7 or 7b7 
of section #ed4dji of title #dg1 ,code  
of ,federal ,regulations1 or any        
successor regulation1 paragraph 7#a7 of 
such subsection 7a7 shall be applied by 
striking #ace percent and inserting #aej

 percent2 and  7,b7 subparagraphs 7,c7  
and 7,e7 of such section #ijd7;a77#f7   
shall not apply for purposes of this    
paragraph4  7#e7 ,program ,the term     
program means the program established   
under section #d4  #d4 ,connected device
 voucher program  7a7 ,establishment2   
regulations ,not later than #ahj days   
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 the ,commission shall establish1  
and promulgate regulations to implement 
in accordance with this section1 a      
program through which-- 7#a7 an eligible
 individual may obtain a voucher that   
can be applied toward the purchase of a 
connected device from a retailer2 and   
7#b7 the ,commission reimburses the     
retailer in an amount equal to the      
lesser of-- 7,a7 the amount of the      
voucher2 or  7,b7 the eligible expenses 
with respect to the connected device4   
7b7 ,amount of voucher  7#a7 ,in general
 ,the amount of a voucher under the     
program shall be #djj1 as such amount   
may be adjusted by the ,commission under

 paragraph 7#b74  7#b7 ,reevaluation2   
adjustment ,not later than #c years     
after the date on which the ,commission 
promulgates regulations under subsection
 7a71 and every #c years thereafter1 the
 ,commission shall-- 7,a7 reevaluate the
 amount of the voucher2 and  7,b7 after 
conducting such reevaluation1 if        
necessary to ensure that the voucher    
reflects the average amount of eligible 
expenses with respect to a connected    
device1 adjust the amount of the        
voucher4  7#c7 ,price of connected      
device exceeding amount of voucher ,if  
the eligible expenses with respect to a 
connected device exceed the amount of   
the voucher1 an eligible individual     
may-- 7,a7 apply the voucher to such    
expenses2 and  7,b7 pay the remainder of
 such expenses to the retailer from     
other funds available to the individual4
  7c7 ,number and frequency of vouchers 
,an eligible individual may obtain #a   
voucher under the program every #d      
years1 except that not more than #b     

eligible individuals per household may  
obtain a voucher under the program every
 #d years4  7d7 ,minimum standards for  
connected devices  7#a7 ,in general ,a  
voucher under the program may not be    
applied toward the purchase of a        
connected device unless the connected   
device meets minimum standards to ensure
 that connected devices meet the needs  
of the average user1 which the          
,commission shall establish in the      
regulations promulgated under subsection
 7a74  7#b7 ,reevaluation2 revision ,not
 later than #c years after the date on  
which the ,commission promulgates       
regulations under subsection 7a71 and   
every #c years thereafter1 the          
,commission shall-- 7,a7 reevaluate the 
minimum standards established under     
paragraph 7#a72 and  7,b7 after         
conducting such reevaluation1 if        
necessary to ensure that connected      
devices continue to meet the needs of   
the average user1 revise such minimum   
standards4  7#c7 ,standards for new and 

refurbished devices ,the ,commission may
 establish separate minimum standards   
under paragraph 7#a7 for new connected  
devices and for refurbished connected   
devices4  7e7 ,collaboration with       
retailers  7#a7 ,in general ,the        
,commission shall collaborate with      
retailers to ensure the wide acceptance 
of vouchers and the wide availability of
 covered devices that will be free of   
charge to consumers after applying a    
voucher4  7#b7 ,website ,the ,commission
 shall establish a website1 which       
shall-- 7,a7 link to offerings by       
retailers of connected devices eligible 
for the use of a voucher under the      
program so that a consumer may initiate 
the purchase of such a device using the 
voucher through the website2 and  7,b7  
if the number of vouchers available over
 a particular time period is limited1   
indicate the number of vouchers         
remaining4  7#c7 ,catalog ,the          
,commission shall establish a catalog1  
which shall-- 7,a7 be accessible to     

consumers without internet access and   
include offerings by retailers of       
connected devices eligible for the use  
of a voucher under the program2 and     
7,b7 if the number of vouchers available
 over a particular time period is       
limited1 indicate the number of vouchers
 remaining4  7f7 ,advertisement of      
program ,the ,commission shall advertise
 the availability of the program1       
including by carrying out advertising   
campaigns in collaboration with         
retailers of connected devices4  7g7    
,technical assistance ,the ,commission  
shall provide technical assistance to   
retailers1 eligible individuals1 and    
community-based organizations regarding 
participation in the program4  7h7      
,enforcement  7#a7 ,in general ,a       
violation of this section or a          
regulation promulgated under this       
section shall be treated as a violation 
of the ,communications ,act of #aicd    
7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #aea et seq47 or a       
regulation promulgated under that ,act4 

7#b7 ,manner of enforcement ,the        
,commission shall enforce this section  
and the regulations promulgated under   
this section in the same manner1 by the 
same means1 and with the same           
jurisdiction1 powers1 and duties as     
though all applicable terms and         
provisions of the ,communications ,act  
of #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #aea et seq47   
were incorporated into and made a part  
of this section4  7i7 ,use of ,universal
 ,service ,administrative ,company      
permitted ,the ,commission shall have   
the authority to avail itself of the    
services of the ,universal ,service     
,administrative ,company to implement   
the program1 including developing and   
processing reimbursements and           
distributing funds4  7j7 ,paperwork     
reduction act requirements ,a collection
 of information conducted or sponsored  
under the regulations required 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 known as the ,paperwork       
,reduction ,act74  7k7 ,privacy ,act of 
#aigd requirements ,the requirements to 
publish notices related to system of    
records notices or computer matching    
agreements of the agency before         
implementation required under paragraphs
 7#d71 7#aa71 and 7#ab7 of section      
#eeb;a7e7 and to provide adequate       
advanced notice under section #eeb;a7r7 
of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code      
7commonly known as the ,privacy ,act of 
#aigd71 shall not apply when the        
matching program is necessary to        
determine eligibility under the program1
 except that the notices shall be-- 7#a7
 sent to the ,committee on ,homeland    
,security and ,governmental ,affairs of 
the ,senate1 the ,committee on          
,oversight and ,reform of the ,house of 
,representatives1 and the ,office of    
,management and ,budget2 and  7#b7      
simultaneously submitted for publication
 in the ,federal ,register4  7l7        

,authorization of appropriations ,there 
is authorized to be appropriated to the 
,commission for fiscal year #bjbb1 to   
remain available until ,september #cj1  
#bjbf1 #e1jjj1jjj1jjj to carry out this 
section1 of which not more than #c      
percent may be used to administer and   
promote the program4