,,ii #aagth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #fjh ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #d1 #bjba,ms4 ,klobuchar 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,cramer1 ,ms4 ,smith1 ,mr4 ,marshall1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,mr4 ,barrasso1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,ms4 ,ernst1 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 ,ms4 ,lummis1 ,mr4 ,kelly1 ,mr4 ,cotton1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1 ,mr4 ,moran1 ,mr4 ,warner1 ,mr4 ,hoeven1 ,ms4 ,duckworth1 ,ms4 ,murkowski1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4 ,boozman1 ,mr4 ,peters1 ,mr4 ,crapo1 ,mr4 ,warnock1 ,mr4 ,tillis1 ,mr4 ,bennet1 ,mr4 ,sullivan1 ,mr4 ,kaine1 ,mr4 ,hawley1 and ,ms4 ,rosen7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation ,a ,,bill ,to help small business broadband providers keep customers connected4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,keeping ,critical ,connections ,act of #bjba4 #b4 ,keeping ,critical ,connections ,emergency ,fund 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section-- 7#a7 the term ,commission means the ,federal ,communications ,commission2 7#b7 the term covered program means a program established by a small business broadband provider under which the small business broadband provider1 at any time during the ,,covid-#ai emergency period1 voluntarily-- 7,a7 provides a customer with free or discounted broadband service1 or free upgrades of existing service to meet certain capacity and speed needs1 due specifically to the presence of a student in the household of the customer who needs distance learning capability2 or 7,b7 refrains from disconnecting broadband service provided to an existing customer due to nonpayment or underpayment if the customer-- 7i7 has a household income1 at the time of the nonpayment or underpayment1 that does not exceed #ace percent of the ,federal poverty guidelines 7as determined by the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services72 7ii7 is unable to make a full payment due specifically to the economic impact of the national emergency described in paragraph 7#c72 and 7iii7 provides sufficient documentation to the provider to show that the customer meets the criteria under clauses 7i7 and 7ii72 7#c7 the term ,,covid-#ai emergency period means the period during which the national emergency declaration by the ,president under the ,national ,emergencies ,act 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #afja et seq47 with respect to the ,coronavirus ,disease #bjai 7,,covid-#ai7 is in effect2 and 7#d7 the term small business broadband provider means a broadband provider that provides broadband service to fewer than #bej1jjj customers4 7b7 ,funding 7#a7 ,appropriation ,out of any funds in the ,treasury not otherwise appropriated1 there is appropriated to the ,commission #b1jjj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjba1 to remain available until expended1 to reimburse small business broadband providers for the costs of carrying out a covered program4 7#b7 ,rules ,the ,commission shall promulgate rules on an expedited basis1 and without regard to section #eec of title #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 regarding the provision of reimbursements to small business broadband providers under paragraph 7#a74