Bill > HR5834

This bill, also known as the Closing the Digital Divide for Students Act of 2014, aims to ensure that families living in public housing have access to high-speed internet by including its reasonable costs in their utility allowances. This means that the government will help cover the expense of high-speed internet for eligible families, similar to how they cover electricity or gas. The bill specifies that the amount covered will not exceed the lowest cost available in the area for high-speed internet and will not include any costs for cable or satellite television services, even if bundled. Eligibility for this benefit is limited to households that incur these internet costs and have children who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches, as defined by the National School Lunch Act. Additionally, internet service providers must offer a technology that blocks or filters access to certain explicit content to protect minors, ensuring a level of protection at least as great as that provided by certified technology protection measures.