Sponsors (2)
The bill centralizes measurement, definitions, and a public commission to improve coordination and target digital‑literacy supports—likely helping students and underserved communities—while relying on studies and a governance structure that may cost taxpayers, delay direct services without dedicated funding, and raise privacy and oversight risks.
Students, children, and learners in low‑income and disadvantaged areas would receive targeted recommendations and program guidance to expand digital and information literacy (early education, community outreach, and skills training).
Federal, state, and local policymakers would gain standardized measurement methods, comparative insights, and improved interagency coordination to better track progress and target resources for digital literacy programs.
Clear definitions (for ‘disadvantaged area’, ‘digital literacy’, and reference to an existing federal ‘low‑income’ definition) create consistency across programs and clarify eligibility, improving program design and evaluation.
The bill creates studies, reports, and a commission without providing program funding, so recommendations may not translate into immediate services while imposing costs on taxpayers and delaying on‑the‑ground help.
Convene/administrative costs and staff time: running the commission, staffing presidential appointees, hearings, and added recordkeeping will increase taxpayer expenses and divert federal and state agency time from other priorities.
Federal measurement and data collection required to standardize digital literacy could raise privacy and data‑security concerns for students and families.
Based on analysis of 7 sections of legislative text.
Creates a federal commission to study digital and information literacy, focus on disadvantaged areas, and report recommendations and a national measurement approach within two years.
Introduced January 30, 2026 by Shri Thanedar · Last progress January 30, 2026
Creates a federal commission to study and recommend how to improve digital literacy and information literacy across the United States, with special focus on low-income and disadvantaged communities. The commission must hold public meetings, gather evidence, and deliver a report to Congress within two years that includes recommendations, a proposed national measurement method, and a plan for better federal coordination. The law establishes who sits on the commission and defines key terms, but does not provide specific funding.