Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Promoting Access to Broadband Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with 5 Democratic cosponsors · See all 5 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text: CR S2131-2132)
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Promoting Access to Broadband Act of 2026 directs the FCC to create a competitive grant program for States to inform potential qualifying low-income consumers about the Lifeline program. States can use these funds to reach out to eligible individuals and partner with community organizations for assistance. Additionally, the bill establishes a grant program to help States connect their benefit databases with the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier. This connection aims to verify eligibility for the Lifeline program more effectively. The Act also requires a report to Congress to evaluate the effectiveness of the outreach program.
Yes· 3 of 5
- Scored +5
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The bill provides outreach and assistance to help low-income individuals enroll in the Lifeline program.
- Scored +5
Does this get reliable internet to more people?
The bill establishes grants to inform individuals about broadband assistance through the Lifeline program.
- Scored +2
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
The bill includes geographic diversity in grant selection to potentially reach rural communities.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Awareness of Benefits: Through the establishment of a competitive grant program, States can inform "covered individuals" about their potential eligibility for the Lifeline program (Section 2(b)).
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Direct Assistance for Enrollment: Grant funds can be used to partner with nonprofit and community-based organizations to provide individuals with assistance applying for the Lifeline program and information regarding technology choices (Section 2(e)(1)(C)).
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Improved Eligibility Verification: The bill provides grants to help States connect their databases with the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier, which allows the receipt of benefits to be used to verify eligibility for the Lifeline program (Section 3(c)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Household Limitations: The bill notes there is a prohibition on more than one subscriber in each household receiving a service provided under the Lifeline program, which is information that must be provided to individuals during outreach (Section 2(e)(1)(B)(ii)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill provides outreach and assistance to help low-income individuals enroll in the Lifeline program. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The bill includes geographic diversity in grant selection to potentially reach rural communities.
- Education And Technology
- Does this get reliable internet to more people? — The bill establishes grants to inform individuals about broadband assistance through the Lifeline program.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill assists low-income individuals in accessing the Lifeline program to help manage costs.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make the government pay for what it commits to? — The bill aims to improve the cost-effectiveness of the Lifeline program through better eligibility verification.
- 4/29/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text: CR S2131-2132)
- 5 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Richard BlumenthalDemocrat · Connecticut
Tammy DuckworthDemocrat · Illinois
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota
Edward MarkeyDemocrat · Massachusetts
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California