Senate committee approves bill that will improve the E-Rate program
The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation recently approved a comprehensive telecommunications bill that will improve the E-Rate program, which provides $2.5 billion a year to school and libraries. The Advanced Telecommunications and Opportunity Reform Act includes a provision making the E-Rate program permanently exempt from the federal Anti-Deficiency Act (ADA), which prohibits the Universal Service Administrative Company from approving E-Rate commitment letters to schools and libraries until it actually has the money in hand. This process disrupts E-Rate payments to schools and makes it difficult for school district administrators to plan their budgets. There are major differences between this bill and a measure passed by the House of Representatives. The House bill contains no language concerning the ADA or the E-Rate program. The difference would have to be worked out in a House-Senate Conference Committee, assuming the Senate bill passes a full vote of the Senate. The National School Boards Association (NSBA) supports the provisions of the Senate bill, including one that would expand funding for the E-Rate program by requiring all communications services to pay into the Universal Service Fund. "This language is essential to ensuring the future viability of the E-Rate and all Universal Service programs, since the emergence of new technologies in recent years has limited the existing market base of contributors to the fund," says NSBA Associate Executive Director Michael Resnick. The bill calls for the FCC to measure the progress of schools in achieving connectivity goals and imposes sanctions on those who knowingly and repeatedly violate program rules.
School Board News
[Full story]
[Editor’s Note: For background, see the issue brief from NSBA’s Advocacy staff, as well as past coverage of the developments necessitating the legislation starting at the NSBA School Law pages link.]
[NSBA issue brief on E-Rate]
[NSBA School Law pages on federal E-Rate]