| R 194 |
| 2024 -- H 7522 Enacted 04/04/2024 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO EXTEND FUNDING FOR THE AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM |
Introduced By: Representatives Baginski, Carson, and Boylan |
| Date Introduced: February 07, 2024 |
| WHEREAS, Access to quality and affordable broadband is essential for living in the 21st |
| century, helping Americans do their jobs, participate in school, access health care, and stay |
| connected; and |
| WHEREAS, The Affordable Connectivity Program was created as part of the bipartisan |
| Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to help bridge the “digital divide” that exists between |
| those who have access to modern information and communications technology and those who do |
| not; and |
| WHEREAS, The Affordable Connectivity Program supports approximately 23 million |
| low-income families, including more than 80,000 Rhode Island households, providing those |
| eligible with monthly discounts toward Internet services and a one-time discount towards the |
| purchase of a laptop, desktop computer or tablet from participating providers; and |
| WHEREAS, Rhode Island has received approximately $35 million in funding through the |
| Affordable Connectivity Program as of January 2024; and |
| WHEREAS, The $14 billion dollars appropriated by Congress for the Affordable |
| Connectivity Program faces exhaustion this spring; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby |
| respectfully requests Congress to renew and extend funding for the Affordable Connectivity |
| Program to ensure low-income households continue to have access to high-speed Internet; and be |
| it further |
| RESOLVED, That this House hereby urges and requests each member of the Rhode |
| Island Congressional Delegation to support continued funding of the Affordable Connectivity |
| Program so that low-income Rhode Island households can continue to receive the support they |
| need to participate in the digital marketplace; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transfer duly certified copies of this resolution to the presiding officers of the Senate and the |
| House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States of America and to each member of |
| the Rhode Island Congressional delegation. |
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| LC004778 |
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