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Closing the Digital Divide for Students Act of 2026
To include reasonable costs for high-speed internet service in the utility allowances for families residing in public housing, and for other purposes.
Summary
This bill amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to include high-speed internet service costs in utility allowances provided to public housing residents. The bill requires that internet costs be limited to the lowest available price in the area and excludes cable television and telephone service from this coverage. The provision applies only to households with children who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch programs. Internet service providers must supply filtering technology capable of blocking adult content at the time of service installation for these households. Residents may choose to purchase higher-cost internet service or bundle packages that include other services at their own expense.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Rep. Foster, Bill [D-IL-11] (D-IL)
6 cosponsors
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Bill Foster’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- FERMILAB $22,943
- NULL $18,250
- BOSTON UNIVERSITY $17,800
- UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO $17,560
- NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY $17,476
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Bill Foster → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Jun 4, 2026 Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. · house
- Jun 4, 2026 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 4, 2026
Mr. Foster (for himself, Ms. Bonamici, Mrs. Beatty, Ms. Norton, Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania, and Mr. Lynch) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services
A BILL
To include reasonable costs for high-speed internet service in the utility allowances for families residing in public housing, 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.
This Act may be cited as the “Closing the Digital Divide for Students Act of 2026”.
SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF HIGH-SPEED INTERNET SERVICE IN PUBLIC HOUSING UTILITY ALLOWANCES FOR CERTAIN FAMILIES.
Subsection (b) of section 3 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 (42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
“(14) Utility Allowance.—A utility allowance under this Act for public housing shall include costs for high-speed internet service, including the cost of renting or purchasing equipment necessary to access such service and a one-time installation fee, subject to the following limitations:
“(A) Cost.—The cost included in a utility allowance for a public housing dwelling unit pursuant to this paragraph for monthly internet service shall not—
“(i) exceed the lowest cost available in the area of such housing for such monthly high-speed internet service; and
“(ii) include any costs for cable or satellite television service or telephone service.
“(B) Family choice.—Subparagraph (A) may not be construed to prohibit a household in public housing from subscribing to—
“(i) a high-speed internet service the cost of which exceeds the cost described in subparagraph
(A)(i); or
“(ii) any joint package for internet service together with cable or satellite television service or telephone service, or both.
“(C) Qualified families.—Costs for high-speed internet service may be included in a utility allowance only for a household that incurs such costs and includes children who qualify for free and reduced price lunch pursuant to section 9 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1758).
“(D) Protection of minors.—Costs for high-speed internet service may be included in a utility allowance for a household only if the internet service provider, upon initial provision of such service for a household, provides the household with a specific technology capable of blocking or filtering internet access to visual depictions described in section 254(h)(5)(B)(i) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254(h)(5)(B)(i)) that provides a level of protection against access by minors to such depictions through the internet that is at least as great as the level of protection provided by a technology protection measure (as such term is defined in paragraph (7) of such section 254(h)) that meets the requirements for certification under such paragraph, as determined by the Secretary.”. <all>
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