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Law360 (July 2, 2020, 6:49 PM EDT) -- Several U.S. Senate Democrats are pushing to add a measure to an upcoming defense package that would set aside federal resources for broadband in schools, citing the public health crisis as the reason to tackle what they call the "homework gap."
Sens. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., filed the amendment July 1 to enact their Emergency Educational Connections Act.
The measure would be attached to the National Defense Authorization Act, a sweeping bill under consideration in the upper chamber. Although it primarily sets out defense spending plans, the package can also serve as a larger vehicle for other legislative initiatives.
Markey and other Democrats have led an effort since early in the coronavirus emergency to channel more money into schools for broadband connectivity. They said in a joint statement that the pandemic has made it worse that some students can't use the internet.
The bill would open up E-Rate funds distributed by the Federal Communications Commission to ensure K-12 students have broadband.
"We cannot allow the 'homework gap' to become a larger 'learning gap' during the coronavirus pandemic," the lawmakers said. "Without immediate action by Congress and $4 billion in E-Rate funding, millions of students — especially those of low-income families, immigrants, communities of color and rural areas — are at risk of being left behind."
The senators said they will "seek any legislative vehicle available to us to make our proposal the law, which will take important strides towards ensuring that all students in America have the connectivity they need to continue their education online during the current crisis."
The lawmakers said their bill would provide $4 billion in federal support for elementary and secondary schools and libraries, including tribal schools and libraries, to provide Wi-Fi hot spots, modems, routers, and internet-enabled devices, as well as internet service through such equipment, to students, staff and patrons.
It would also allow schools and libraries to continue to use the equipment after the emergency period and "ensure schools and libraries prioritize support for those most in need, following the guidelines of the E-Rate program," according to the senators.
The initial version of the bill was co-sponsored by almost all of the Democratic caucus, the group noted.
--Editing by Jay Jackson Jr.
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