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HR 4477
(PDF)
106th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4477
To establish a Digital Bridge Trust Fund to fund programs to improve the
skills and career opportunities in information technology and related
fields for individuals in underserved rural and urban communities, and for
Native Americans, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 17, 2000
Mr. TOWNS (for himself, Ms. WATERS, Mr. DINGELL, Mr. RUSH,
Mr. WYNN, Mr. CUMMINGS, Ms. KILPATRICK, Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas, Mr.
HILLIARD, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mrs. MEEK of Florida, Mr.
FORD, Ms. CARSON, and Mr. PAYNE) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Commerce, and in addition to the Committees
on Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, Transportation and
Infrastructure, and Banking and Financial Services, for a period to be
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To establish a Digital Bridge Trust Fund to fund programs to improve the
skills and career opportunities in information technology and related
fields for individuals in underserved rural and urban communities, and for
Native Americans, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
SEC. 2. DIGITAL BRIDGE TRUST FUND AND ASSISTANCE FROM
TRUST FUND.
(a) IN GENERAL- The National Telecommunications and
Information Administration Organization Act is amended--
`PART C--ASSISTANCE TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
`SEC. 131. DIGITAL BRIDGE TRUST FUND.
`(a) ESTABLISHMENT- There is established in the Treasury
of the United States a trust fund to be known as the Digital Bridge
Trust Fund, consisting of such amounts as may be appropriated or
credited pursuant to subsection (b) or (d).
`(b) TRANSFER OF AMOUNTS EQUIVALENT TO CERTAIN TAXES-
There are hereby appropriated to the Digital Bridge Trust Fund amounts
equivalent to 100 percent of the taxes received in the Treasury after
September 30, 2000, under section 4251 of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 (relating to tax on communications).
`(c) EXPENDITURES- Amounts in the Digital Bridge Trust
Fund shall be available, to the extent provided in appropriation Acts,
solely for making expenditures to provide assistance under section
133(a).
`(d) TREATMENT AS TRUST FUND- For purposes of subchapter
B of chapter 98 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the Digital Bridge
Trust Fund shall be considered to be a trust fund established by
subchapter A of such chapter.
`SEC. 132. BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
`(a) ESTABLISHMENT- There is established in the
Department of Commerce a board to be known as the Board of Trustees of
the Digital Bridge Trust Fund (in this part referred to as the `Board').
The initial members of the Board shall be appointed not
later than the expiration of the 6-month period beginning on the date of
the enactment of the Digital Bridge Trust Fund Act.
`(e) PROHIBITION OF COMPENSATION- Members of the Board
shall not receive any pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their
service on the Board.
`(f) SUPPORT SERVICES AND FACILITIES- Upon the request
of the Board, the Secretary of Commerce shall provide to the Board any
facilities and administrative and
other support services necessary for the Board to carry
out its responsibilities.
`(g) ANNUAL REPORTS- The Board shall submit a report
annually to the President and the Congress regarding its activities.
Each report shall describe the assistance provided from the Digital
Bridge Trust Fund during the year for which the report is made and any
effects of such assistance in meeting the information technology needs
of rural, urban, and Native American communities.
`SEC. 133. PROVISION OF DIGITAL BRIDGE ASSISTANCE.
`(a) ALLOCATION OF ASSISTANCE- In providing assistance
pursuant to this section, the Board shall ensure that, notwithstanding
any provision of law referred to in subsection (b), all such assistance
is--
`(1) made available for the benefit of rural and urban
areas, and Native Americans, in a manner that targets such assistance
for areas, communities, and populations (including low-income families
and individuals) that are underserved with respect to information
technology needs, employment, and education; and
`(2) to the greatest extent possible, ensure that such
assistance is appropriately allocated so that rural and urban areas,
and Native Americans, are each fairly served by such amounts.
`(b) REQUIRED MINIMUM ASSISTANCE- Except as provided in
subsections (c) and (d), from the amount made available under section
135 for each of fiscal years 2001 through 2010, the Board shall make
assistance available for the following activities in the following
amounts:
`(1) TEACHER TRAINING- For each such fiscal year, not
less than $300,000,000 for assistance under section 3122 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6832) for
training teachers to use technology effectively in the classroom.
`(2) COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY CENTERS- For each such
fiscal year, not less than $200,000,000 for assistance under section
3122 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
6832) for establishing community technology centers to provide
individuals who cannot afford access to computers, technology
training, and technological tools such access appropriate to improve
their educational performance and their ability to compete for and
hold jobs.
`(3) NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORK LEARNING CENTERS- For each
such fiscal year, not less than $200,000,000 for assistance by the
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for public-private
partnerships to establish neighborhood learning centers providing
computer-based services to help residents of federally assisted
housing learn critical computer skills that will improve their
educational performance and employment qualifications.
`(4) TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT FUND- For each such fiscal
year, not less than $200,000,000 for the Technology Development Fund
under section 714 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 614) to
provide loans and investment capital to small communications
businesses to stimulate new technological growth and development,
promote universal service, and enhance the delivery of
telecommunications services to rural and underserved areas.
`(5) TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM- For each such
fiscal year, not less than $145,000,000 for grants under the
Technology Opportunity Program of the Secretary of Commerce pursuant
to subpart A of part IV of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C.
390 et seq.) to provide matching funds to State, local, and tribal
governments and nonprofit entities to extend the benefit of
information technology to all Americans, especially those in
underserved areas.
`(6) RURAL, URBAN, AND NATIVE AMERICAN TECHNOLOGY
TRAINING- For each such fiscal year, not less than $300,000,000 for
preparing residents of rural and urban areas, and Native Americans,
for careers in programming, database development, network engineering,
and other advance information and technical fields.
`(7) BROADBAND NETWORK DEPLOYMENT- For each such
fiscal year, not less than $100,000,000 for assistance regarding
deployment of broadband networks (including wireless and wireline
technologies), except that of such amount in each such fiscal year--
`(A) not less than $2,000,000 shall be available
only for research activities of the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration regarding improvement of broadband
(including wireless and wireline) technology in support of
next-generation Internet; and
`(B) not less than $98,000,000 shall be available
only for assistance under the Public Works and Economic Development
Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3121 et seq.) for implementing deployment of
such networks.
`(8) HOME INTERNET ACCESS PROGRAM- For each such
fiscal year, not less than $100,000,000 for grants under a Home
Internet Access Program of the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration pursuant to subpart A of part IV of the
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 390 et seq.) to assist
public-private partnerships to address the needs of low-income
individuals and families in gaining access to technology and online
resources at home, except that notwithstanding subsections (a) and (c)
of section 392 of such Act, such amounts may be used to support
activities to provide low-income individuals and families with access
to the Internet in their homes.
`(9) FALLING THROUGH THE NET SURVEY- Only for fiscal
years 2004 and 2007, not less than $500,000 for each such fiscal year
for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration for
conducting the Falling Through the Net survey, pursuant to sections
901 and 902 of the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 901, 902) to determine the
extent to which Americans have access to telephones, computers, and
the Internet.
`(c) ASSISTANCE ALLOCATED AT DISCRETION OF BOARD- The
Board shall use any amounts made available under section 135 for any
fiscal year that are in excess of the amounts required to be used for
assistance under subsection (b) to provide--
`(2) other assistance, as the Board determines
appropriate, to serve the information technology needs of, or improve
the information technology educational or employment opportunities
for, residents of rural and urban areas, and Native Americans, that
are underserved with respect to information technology needs, jobs,
and education.
The Board shall have complete discretion to make amounts
available under this paragraph for any of the purposes referred to in
this paragraph in such amounts as the Board determines appropriate.
`(d) AUTHORITY TO REDUCE REQUIRED ASSISTANCE IN SECOND 5
YEARS- In any of fiscal years 2006 through 2010, the Board may, by a
vote of not less than 8 members of the Board held not more than 3 months
before the beginning of such fiscal year, waive the applicability of any
one or more of the paragraphs of subsection (b) for such fiscal year and
provide assistance for such fiscal year for the purpose referred to in
such paragraph in any reduced amount determined appropriate by the
Board. Any amounts otherwise required to be used under any such
paragraph of subsection (b) that are available by reason of action by
the Board pursuant to this subsection shall be treated as excess amounts
to be to allocated and made available by the Board under subsection (c).
`(e) PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES- Notwithstanding any
provision of subsection (b) or (c), amounts made available under section
135 may not be used for the construction, rehabilitation, or acquisition
of any structure in which to provide training or other information
technology services assisted pursuant to subsection (a).
`SEC. 134. REGULATIONS.
The Secretary of Commerce may prescribe such regulations
as may be necessary to carry out this part.
`SEC. 135. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
For each of fiscal years 2001 through 2010 there are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part an amount equal to
the amount deposited to the Digital Bridge Trust Fund for such fiscal
year pursuant to section 131.'.
(b) REPEAL- Effective October 1, 2010, part C of the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization
Act is repealed.
SEC. 3. REDUCTION OF EXCISE TAX ON TELEPHONE AND OTHER
COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES.
(a) REDUCTION- Section 4251(b)(2) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended to read as follows:
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendment made by subsection (a)
shall apply to amounts paid pursuant to bills first rendered after
September 30, 2000.
(b) REPEAL- Subchapter B of chapter 33 of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 is repealed effective with respect to bills
rendered on or after October 1, 2010.
(c) SENSE OF CONGRESS- It is the sense of the Congress
that providers of communications services (as such term is defined in
section 4251(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) should not
increase rates for such services based upon any reduction in the excise
tax on such services pursuant to the amendments made by this section.
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