Congressmembers Introduce Legislation to Establish a Voucher Program & Close the Digital Divide

Rep A Donald McEachin (D-VA) and Sen Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) introduced the Device Access for Every American Act to ensure more Americans can afford connected devices (S.2729) (H.R.5257). While computer access is nearly ubiquitous amongst high-income households, 40 percent of low-income adults lack a desktop or laptop computer. Additionally, 4.4 million households with students lack consistent access to a computer. The Device Access for Every American Act would:

• Allocates $5 billion in federal funding for establishment and implementation of the voucher program
• Authorize the FCC to administer up to $400 vouchers for eligible individuals and families to purchase a connected device
• Permit up to two low-income individuals per household to receive a voucher, so families can receive multiple devices
• Direct the FCC to collaborate with connected device retailers, promote the program to eligible Americans, and provide individualized technical assistance to assist in enrollment