Broadband Affordability Act of 2009
Latest action · Sep 25, 2009 Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedSep 24, 2009
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Broadband Affordability Act of 2009 - Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a broadband lifeline program enabling qualifying low-income customers residing in urban and rural areas to purchase broadband service at reduced charges by reimbursing providers for each such customer served.
Requires that the program: (1) be similar in structure to the Lifeline program for basic telephone service; and (2) promote competition from broadband service providers by using neutral technology.
Requires a broadband service provider that is not an eligible telecommunications carrier to obtain FCC authorization to participate in the program.
Cosponsors 16
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Sep 29, 2009 to Jun 30, 2010.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-VT | Peter Welch | Sep 29, 2009 | |
| D-FL | Kathy Castor | Oct 28, 2009 | |
| D-VI | Donna M. Christensen | Nov 2, 2009 | |
| D-TX | Gene Green | Nov 4, 2009 | |
| D-CA | Anna G. Eshoo | Nov 6, 2009 | |
| D-PA | Michael F. Doyle | Nov 17, 2009 | |
| D-CA | Lois Capps | Nov 18, 2009 | |
| D-CO | Diana DeGette | Nov 19, 2009 | |
| D-CA | Jerry McNerney | Dec 2, 2009 | |
| D-CA | Judy Chu | Dec 9, 2009 | |
| D-CA | Lucille Roybal-Allard | Dec 9, 2009 | |
| D-CA | Michael M. Honda | Dec 9, 2009 | |
| D-CA | Sam Farr | Dec 9, 2009 | |
| D-WI | Tammy Baldwin | Dec 9, 2009 | |
| D-CA | Zoe Lofgren | Dec 15, 2009 | |
| D-NC | David E. Price | Jun 30, 2010 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred Sep 24, 2009 |
| Communications and Technology Subcommittee | Referred Sep 25, 2009 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Sep 25, 2009Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet.
- Sep 24, 2009Introduced in House
- Sep 24, 2009Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Printed hearings 2
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serial No. 111-156 | H.R. 5828, THE UNIVERSAL SERVICE REFORM ACT OF 2010113 pages | Energy and Commerce Committee | Sep 16, 2010 |
| Serial No. 111-124 | THE NATIONAL BROADBAND PLAN: PROMOTING BROADBAND ADOPTION118 pages | Energy and Commerce Committee | May 13, 2010 |
CRS reports 1
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 1
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| RL33979 | Universal Service Fund: Background and Options for Reform Archived | Report | Oct 25, 2011 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to establish a Lifeline Assistance Program for universal broadband adoption, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Broadband Affordability Act of 2009
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Sep 24, 2009Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
