119-s1651

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1651 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 1651

 To require the Federal Communications Commission to ensure equitable 
and nondiscriminatory contributions to the mechanisms that preserve and 
advance universal service, to reduce the financial burden on consumers, 
 and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 May 7, 2025

 Mr. Mullin (for himself, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Crapo, and Mr. Cramer) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To require the Federal Communications Commission to ensure equitable 
and nondiscriminatory contributions to the mechanisms that preserve and 
advance universal service, to reduce the financial burden on consumers, 
 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 ``Lowering Broadband Costs for 
Consumers Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. LOWERING BROADBAND COSTS FOR CONSUMERS.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Broadband internet access service.--The term 
 ``broadband internet access service'' has the meaning given the 
 term in 

section 8.1

    (b) of title 47, Code of Federal 
 Regulations, or any successor regulation.

    (2) Broadband provider.--The term ``broadband provider'' 
 means a provider of broadband internet access service.

    (3) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
 Communications Commission.

    (4) Edge provider.--The term ``edge provider'' means a 
 provider of online content or services, including--
        (A) a digital advertising service;
        (B) a search engine;
            (C) a social media platform;
            (D) a streaming service;
        (E) an app store;
        (F) a cloud computing service;
        (G) an over-the-top messaging service or any other 
 service that enables texting;
        (H) a videoconferencing service;
            (I) a video gaming service; and
        (J) an e-commerce platform.

    (5) Eligible telecommunications carrier.--The term 
 ``eligible telecommunications carrier'' means a common carrier 
 designated as an eligible telecommunications carrier under 
 

section 214

    (e) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
 214

    (e) ).

    (b) Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers.--

Section 254
            (d) of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254
            (d) ) is amended--

    (1) by striking ``Every'' and inserting the following:
 ``

    (1) In general.--Every''; and

    (2) by adding at the end the following:
 ``

    (2) Rulemaking.--
 ``
        (A) Initial rulemaking.--Not later than 18 months 
 after the date of enactment of the Lowering Broadband 
 Costs for Consumers Act of 2025, the Commission shall 
 complete a rulemaking to reform the Universal Service 
 Fund by expanding the contribution base so that 
 broadband providers and edge providers, except as 
 provided in paragraph

    (3) of this subsection, 
 contribute on an equitable and nondiscriminatory basis 
 to the specific, predictable, and sufficient mechanisms 
 established by the Commission to preserve and advance 
 universal service.
 ``
        (B) Revisions.--From time to time after the 
 rulemaking described in subparagraph
        (A) , the 
 Commission may revise the rules adopted under that 
 subparagraph, as necessary, to ensure that broadband 
 providers and edge providers continue to contribute on 
 an equitable and nondiscriminatory basis to the 
 specific, predictable, and sufficient mechanisms 
 established by the Commission to preserve and advance 
 universal service.
 ``

    (3) Exempted edge providers and broadband providers.--The 
 requirement to contribute described in paragraph

    (2) shall not 
 apply to--
 ``
        (A) an edge provider that--
 ``
            (i) transmitted less than 3 percent of 
 the estimated quantity of broadband data that 
 was transmitted in the United States during the 
 most recent year, as determined by the 
 Commission; and
 ``
            (ii) earned less than $5,000,000,000 in 
 revenue in the United States during the most 
 recent year; or
 ``
        (B) an edge provider or broadband provider or 
 class of edge providers or broadband providers if the 
 revenue of the provider is such that the level of 
 contribution of the provider to the preservation and 
 advancement of universal service would be de minimis.
 ``

    (4) Broadband provider; edge provider defined.--In this 
 subsection, the terms `broadband provider' and `edge provider' 
 have the meanings given those terms in 

section 2 of the 
 Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act of 2025.''.
            (c) Supporting Broadband Providers.--

    (1) Adoption of mechanism.--Not later than 18 months after 
 the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall 
 complete a rulemaking to adopt a new mechanism under the high-
 cost program of the Universal Service Fund that will provide 
 specific, predictable, and sufficient support for expenses 
 incurred by a broadband provider that is an eligible 
 telecommunications carrier in providing supported services to 
 the extent that such expenses are not otherwise recovered from 
 revenues earned from the assessment of just, reasonable, and 
 affordable rates on end users in high-cost areas or from other 
 universal service support mechanisms.

    (2) Limit on eligible telecommunications carriers.--The 
 Commission shall ensure that not more than 1 eligible 
 telecommunications carrier for any area receives support from 
 the mechanism adopted through the rulemaking conducted under 
 paragraph

    (1) .
            (d) Enforcement by the Federal Communications Commission.--

    (1) Powers of commission.--Except as otherwise provided, 
 the Commission shall enforce this Act in the same manner, by 
 the same means, and with the same jurisdiction, powers, and 
 duties as though all applicable terms and provisions of the 
 Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.) were 
 incorporated into and made a part of this Act.

    (2) Penalties, privileges, and immunities.--Any person who 
 violates this Act shall be subject to the penalties and 
 entitled to the privileges and immunities provided in the 
 Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.).

    (e) Purpose; Rule of Construction.--

    (1) === Purpose ===
-The purpose of this section is to direct the 
 Commission to require contributions to the Universal Service 
 Fund from edge providers and broadband providers and to modify 
 the high cost program to promote affordable and available 
 broadband.

    (2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
 construed to provide the Commission with--
        (A) any new authority over broadband providers; or
        (B) any authority over edge providers other than as 
 described in paragraph

    (1) .
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