Sponsor
Robin L. Kelly
Representative · D-IL
Representative · D-IL
The bill expands and speeds access to discounted phone and internet for low-income, tribal, and rural households by funding outreach and verification infrastructure, but does so with open-ended federal spending, privacy risks from linked databases, potential uneven rollout across states and tribes, and reduced procedural transparency.
Low-income households (including tribal and rural households) will gain faster, easier access to discounted phone and internet service because outreach, application assistance, and simpler eligibility proof using existing benefit records are expanded.
States, Tribes, and local/community organizations will receive federal grant funding and technical support to build and maintain verifier connections and run outreach, lowering local implementation costs and technical barriers.
States and community partners can be prioritized and funded to target outreach where more eligible people live, allowing the FCC to leverage trusted local organizations and improve cost-effectiveness of enrollment efforts.
Taxpayers face increased, open-ended federal spending because program implementation and verifier maintenance are funded through appropriations described as “such sums as may be necessary” without a fixed cap.
Linking state/Tribal benefit databases to a federal verifier creates privacy and data-security risks for recipients if protections are insufficient, potentially exposing sensitive beneficiary information.
Uneven state and Tribal technical capacity and competitive award processes could produce unequal access—communities in low-capacity states or territories may receive less help or face delays despite similar needs.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Creates two FCC grant programs to fund State outreach to enroll eligible people in Lifeline and to connect State benefit databases to the Lifeline eligibility verifier.
Official title: To direct the Federal Communications Commission to establish a program to make grants available to States to inform individuals of potential eligibility for the Lifeline program of the Commission, and for other purposes.
Introduced April 29, 2026 by Robin L. Kelly · Last progress April 29, 2026
Creates two FCC grant programs to increase enrollment in the Lifeline low-income broadband subsidy. The first is a multi-year competitive grant program that funds State outreach, application assistance, and community partnerships to notify and help eligible-but-not-enrolled people apply for Lifeline. The second gives rapid grants to States that connect certain public-benefits databases (including SNAP) to the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier so benefits-based eligibility can be used to confirm Lifeline eligibility. Both programs authorize “such sums as necessary” for initial years, include fast regulatory timelines and reporting to Congress, and permit States to subgrant to agencies and community organizations to carry out outreach and technical integration work.