BRIDGE Act of 2019

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1586 To amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act to establish a digital network technology program, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 7, 2019 Mr. BUTTERFIELD introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with- in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act to establish a digital network technology program, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Building Resources 4 Into Digital Growth and Education Act of 2019’’ or the 5 ‘‘BRIDGE Act of 2019’’. 6 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:54 Mar 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1586.IH H1586 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1586 IH SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM. 1 The National Telecommunications and Information 2 Administration Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 901 et seq.) 3 is amended by adding at the end the following: 4 ‘‘PART D—DIGITAL NETWORK TECHNOLOGY 5 PROGRAM 6 ‘‘SEC. 171. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. 7 ‘‘The Secretary shall establish, within the Technology 8 Opportunities Program of the NTIA, a digital network 9 technology program through which the Secretary awards 10 grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts to eligible 11 institutions to assist such institutions in acquiring, and 12 augmenting use by such institutions of, broadband inter- 13 net access service to improve the quality and delivery of 14 educational services provided by such institutions. 15 ‘‘SEC. 172. ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED. 16 ‘‘An eligible institution shall use a grant, contract, 17 or cooperative agreement awarded under this part— 18 ‘‘(1) to acquire broadband internet access serv- 19 ice, digital network technology, and infrastructure to 20 further the objective of the program described in 21 section 171; 22 ‘‘(2) to develop and provide training, education, 23 and professional development programs, including 24 faculty development, to increase the use of, and use- 25 fulness of, broadband internet access service; 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:54 Mar 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1586.IH H1586 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1586 IH ‘‘(3) to provide teacher education, including the 1 provision of preservice teacher training and in-serv- 2 ice professional development at eligible institutions, 3 library and media specialist training, and preschool 4 and teacher aid certification to individuals who seek 5 to acquire or enhance technology skills in order to 6 use broadband internet access service in the class- 7 room or instructional process, including instruction 8 in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology 9 subjects; 10 ‘‘(4) to obtain capacity-building technical assist- 11 ance, including through remote technical support, 12 technical assistance workshops, and distance learn- 13 ing services; 14 ‘‘(5) to foster the use of broadband internet ac- 15 cess service to improve research and education, in- 16 cluding scientific, mathematics, engineering, and 17 technology instruction; or 18 ‘‘(6) to create or support centers at the eligible 19 institution designed to support innovation, oppor- 20 tunity, and advancement for entrepreneurs and 21 start-ups. 22 ‘‘SEC. 173. APPLICATION AND REVIEW PROCEDURES. 23 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a grant, 24 contract, or cooperative agreement under this part, an eli- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:54 Mar 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1586.IH H1586 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 1586 IH gible institution shall submit an application to the Sec- 1 retary at such time, in such manner, and containing such 2 information as the Secretary may require. Such applica- 3 tion, at a minimum, shall include a description of how the 4 funds will be used, including a description of any digital 5 network technology to be acquired, and a description of 6 how the institution will ensure that broadband internet ac- 7 cess service will be made accessible to, and employed by, 8 students, faculty, and administrators. The Secretary, in 9 consultation with the advisory council established under 10 subsection (b) and consistent with subsection (c), shall es- 11 tablish procedures to review such applications. The Sec- 12 retary shall publish the application requirements and re- 13 view criteria in the Federal Register, along with a state- 14 ment describing the availability of funds. 15 ‘‘(b) ADVISORY COUNCIL.—The Secretary shall es- 16 tablish an advisory council to advise the Secretary on the 17 best approaches to encourage maximum participation by 18 eligible institutions in the program established under this 19 part, and on the procedures to review applications sub- 20 mitted to the program. In selecting the members of the 21 advisory council, the Secretary shall consult with rep- 22 resentatives of appropriate organizations, including rep- 23 resentatives of eligible institutions, to ensure that the 24 membership of the advisory council includes representa- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:54 Mar 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1586.IH H1586 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 1586 IH tives of minority businesses and eligible institution com- 1 munities. The Secretary shall also consult with experts in 2 digital network technology to ensure that such expertise 3 is represented on the advisory council. 4 ‘‘(c) REVIEW PANEL.—Each application submitted 5 under this part by an eligible institution shall be reviewed 6 by a panel of individuals selected by the Secretary to judge 7 the quality and merit of the proposal, including the extent 8 to which the eligible institution can effectively and success- 9 fully utilize the proposed grant, cooperative agreement, or 10 contract to carry out the objective of the program de- 11 scribed in section 171. The Secretary shall ensure that 12 the review panels include representatives of eligible insti- 13 tutions and others who are knowledgeable about eligible 14 institutions and technology issues. The Secretary shall en- 15 sure that no individual assigned under this subsection to 16 review any application has a conflict of interest with re- 17 gard to that application. The Secretary shall take into con- 18 sideration the recommendations of the review panel in de- 19 termining whether to award a grant, cooperative agree- 20 ment, or contract to an eligible institution. 21 ‘‘SEC. 174. AWARDS. 22 ‘‘(a) LIMITATION.—An eligible institution that re- 23 ceives a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract under 24 this part that exceeds $2,500,000 shall not be eligible to 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:54 Mar 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1586.IH H1586 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 1586 IH receive another grant, cooperative agreement, or contract 1 under this part. 2 ‘‘(b) CONSORTIA.—Grants, cooperative agreements, 3 and contracts under this part may only be awarded to eli- 4 gible institutions. Eligible institutions may seek funding 5 under this part for consortia, which may include other eli- 6 gible institutions, States or State educational agencies, 7 local educational agencies, institutions of higher edu- 8 cation, community-based organizations, national nonprofit 9 organizations, or businesses, including minority busi- 10 nesses. 11 ‘‘(c) COORDINATION AND PARTNERSHIP WITH PRI- 12 VATE PROVIDERS.—In seeking funding under this part, 13 eligible institutions are encouraged, where feasible, to co- 14 ordinate and partner with qualified private providers of 15 the services and activities supported under section 172. 16 ‘‘(d) INSTITUTIONAL DIVERSITY.—In awarding 17 grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts under this 18 part to eligible institutions, the Secretary shall ensure, to 19 the extent practicable, that awards are made to all types 20 of institutions eligible for assistance under this part. 21 ‘‘(e) NEED.—In awarding grants, cooperative agree- 22 ments, and contracts under this part, the Secretary shall 23 give priority to the eligible institution with the greatest 24 demonstrated need for assistance. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:54 Mar 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1586.IH H1586 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 1586 IH ‘‘SEC. 175. INFORMATION DISSEMINATION. 1 ‘‘The Secretary shall convene an annual meeting of 2 eligible institutions receiving grants, cooperative agree- 3 ments, or contracts under this part to foster collaboration 4 and capacity-building activities among eligible institutions. 5 ‘‘SEC. 176. MATCHING REQUIREMENT. 6 ‘‘The Secretary may not award a grant, contract, or 7 cooperative agreement to an eligible institution under this 8 part unless such institution agrees that, with respect to 9 the costs to be incurred by the institution in carrying out 10 the program for which the grant, contract, or cooperative 11 agreement was awarded, such institution will make avail- 12 able (directly or through donations from public or private 13 entities) non-Federal contributions in an amount equal to 14 25 percent of the amount of the grant, contract, or cooper- 15 ative agreement awarded by the Secretary, or $500,000, 16 whichever is the lesser amount. The Secretary shall waive 17 the matching requirement for any institution or consor- 18 tium that, as of the date of the submission of the applica- 19 tion for the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement, has 20 no endowment or an endowment the value of which is less 21 than $50,000,000. 22 ‘‘SEC. 177. ANNUAL REPORT AND EVALUATION. 23 ‘‘(a) ANNUAL REPORT REQUIRED FROM RECIPI- 24 ENTS.—Each eligible institution that receives a grant, 25 contract, or cooperative agreement under this part shall 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:54 Mar 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1586.IH H1586 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 8 •HR 1586 IH provide an annual report to the Secretary on its use of 1 the grant, contract, or cooperative agreement. 2 ‘‘(b) INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENTS.— 3 ‘‘(1) CONTRACT TO CONDUCT ASSESSMENTS.— 4 Not later than 6 months after the date of the enact- 5 ment of this part, the Secretary shall enter into a 6 contract with the National Academy of Public Ad- 7 ministration to conduct periodic assessments of the 8 program established under this part. The assess- 9 ments shall be conducted once every 3 years during 10 the 10-year period following the date of the enact- 11 ment of this part. 12 ‘‘(2) EVALUATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.— 13 The assessments described in paragraph (1) shall in- 14 clude— 15 ‘‘(A) an evaluation of the effectiveness of 16 the program established under this part in im- 17 proving the education and training of students, 18 faculty, and staff at eligible institutions that 19 have been awarded grants, cooperative agree- 20 ments, or contracts under this part; 21 ‘‘(B) an evaluation of the effectiveness of 22 the program in improving access to, and famili- 23 arity with, digital network technology and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:54 Mar 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1586.IH H1586 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 9 •HR 1586 IH broadband internet access service for students, 1 faculty, and staff at all eligible institutions; 2 ‘‘(C) an evaluation of the procedures estab- 3 lished under section 173(a); and 4 ‘‘(D) recommendations for improving the 5 program, including recommendations con- 6 cerning the continuing need for Federal sup- 7 port. 8 ‘‘(3) REVIEW OF REPORTS.—In carrying out 9 the assessments under this subsection, the National 10 Academy of Public Administration shall review the 11 reports submitted to the Secretary under subsection 12 (a). 13 ‘‘(c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Upon completion of 14 each assessment under subsection (b), the Secretary shall 15 transmit the assessment to Congress along with a sum- 16 mary of the plans of the Secretary, if any, to implement 17 the recommendations of the National Academy of Public 18 Administration.’’. 19 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 20 Section 102(a) of the National Telecommunications 21 and Information Administration Organization Act (47 22 U.S.C. 901(a)) is amended by adding at the end the fol- 23 lowing: 24 ‘‘(6) The term ‘eligible institution’ means— 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:54 Mar 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1586.IH H1586 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 10 •HR 1586 IH ‘‘(A) an institution of higher education 1 that is— 2 ‘‘(i) an institution described in section 3 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 4 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)); 5 ‘‘(ii) an institution described in sec- 6 tion 326(e)(1) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 7 1063b(e)(1)); 8 ‘‘(iii) a minority institution (as de- 9 fined in section 365 of such Act (20 10 U.S.C. 1067k)) that has an enrollment of 11 needy students (as defined in section 12 312(d) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1058(d))); 13 or 14 ‘‘(iv) an institution determined by the 15 Secretary, in consultation with the Sec- 16 retary of Education, to have a substantial 17 enrollment of minority students who are el- 18 igible to receive Federal Pell Grants under 19 subpart 1 of part A of title IV of such Act 20 (20 U.S.C. 1070a et seq.); or 21 ‘‘(B) a consortium of institutions described 22 in subparagraph (A). 23 ‘‘(7) The term ‘digital network technology’ 24 means computer and communications equipment and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:54 Mar 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1586.IH H1586 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 11 •HR 1586 IH software that facilitates the transmission of informa- 1 tion in a digital format. 2 ‘‘(8) The term ‘minority’ means an American 3 Indian, Alaskan Native, Black (not of Hispanic ori- 4 gin), Hispanic (including persons of Mexican, Puerto 5 Rican, Cuban, and Central or South American ori- 6 gin), or Pacific Islander individual. 7 ‘‘(9) The term ‘State’ has the meaning given 8 such term in section 8101 of the Elementary and 9 Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 10 ‘‘(10) The term ‘State educational agency’ has 11 the meaning given such term in section 8101 of the 12 Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 13 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 14 ‘‘(11) The term ‘institution of higher education’ 15 has the me [Text truncated for display. 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