,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #hef  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #af1         
#bjbc,mr4 ,wicker 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,lujn1 ,mr4 ,young1 and ,mr4 ,kelly7    
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and  
,transportation  ,a ,,bill  ,to require 
the ,federal ,communications ,commission
 to conduct a study and submit to       
,congress a report examining the        
feasibility of funding the ,universal   
,service ,fund through contributions    
supplied by edge providers1 and for     
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,funding       
,affordable ,internet with ,reliable    
,contributions ,act or the ,,fair       
,contributions ,act4  #b4 ,study and    
report on ,universal ,service ,fund     
contributions  7a7 ,definitions ,in this
 section3 7#a7 ,appropriate             
congressional committees ,the term      
appropriate congressional committees    

means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on          
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
 of the ,senate2 and  7,b7 the          
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce of  
the ,house of ,representatives4  7#b7   
,commission ,the term ,commission means 
the ,federal ,communications            
,commission4  7#c7 ,contribution ,the   
term contribution means funds provided  
to the ,universal ,service ,fund under  
section #bed7;d7 of the ,communications 
,act of #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #bed7;d774 
7#d7 ,edge provider ,the term edge      
provider means a provider of online     
content or services1 such as a search   
engine1 a social media platform1 a      
streaming service1 an app store1 a cloud
 computing service1 or an e-commerce    
platform4  7#e7 ,universal ,service     
,fund ,the term ,universal ,service     
,fund means the fund established        
pursuant to section #bed of the         
,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg      
,u4,s4,c4 #bed7 and administered by the 
,universal ,service ,administrative     

,company to support service to high-cost
 areas1 schools and libraries1 rural    
health care facilities1 and the         
,lifeline program of the ,commission4   
7b7 ,study and report ,not later than   
#ahj days after the date of enactment of
 this ,act1 and after issuing a notice  
of inquiry seeking public comment on the
 issues described in this subsection1   
the ,commission shall conduct a study   
and submit to the appropriate           
congressional committees a report       
examining the feasibility of funding the
 ,universal ,service ,fund through      
contributions supplied by edge          
providers1 which shall include the      
consideration of comments on1 and the   
findings of the ,commission with respect
 to-- 7#a7 the class of firms and       
services on which contributions could be
 assessed1 including an inquiry into the
 specific sources of revenue potentially
 subject to contributions1 such as      
digital advertising revenue and user    
fees2  7#b7 the equity issues of the    

current contributions system1 including 
the cost burden on consumers who        
traditionally purchase legacy           
telecommunications services2  7#c7      
equity issues of alternative            
contributions systems that would create 
new funding sources for the ,universal  
,service ,fund such as ,federal         
appropriations or assessments on edge   
providers2  7#d7 whether a particular   
contributions system results in         
progressive or regressive fees2  7#e7   
the size of firms subject to            
contributions requirements2  7#f7 the   
broadband requirements1 such as         
bandwidth and latency1 of a particular  
online service2  7#g7 other ,federal1   
,state1 and local taxes and fees that   
edge providers may already pay2  7#h7   
practical issues concerning the         
calculation of contributions1 including 
which revenues should be subject to     
contributions1 whether a flat or        
progressive rate is most appropriate1   
and the logistics of collection2  7#i7  

the effect such a change would have on  
telecommunications bills of consumers1  
including low-income1 elderly1 and      
,tribal consumers2  7#aj7 the effect    
such a change would have on the         
sustainability of the ,universal        
,service ,fund1 and how to ensure that  
,universal ,service ,fund disbursements 
are consistent and predictable over     
time2  7#aa7 the statutory authority the
 ,commission would require to enact such
 a change and how such a change would   
interact with existing ,federal and     
,state law2 and  7#ab7 the continued    
necessity of the ,universal ,service    
,fund once advanced telecommunications  
capability is available to all people in
 the ,united ,states4