{"id":32498,"date":"2020-06-23T01:55:17","date_gmt":"2020-06-23T01:55:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/e-ratepaorg.local\/?p=32498"},"modified":"2020-06-26T02:08:56","modified_gmt":"2020-06-26T02:08:56","slug":"remote-learning-legislation-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=32498","title":{"rendered":"Remote Learning Legislation Update"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #222222;\">June 23, 2020<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In mid-May I sent a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=32449\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p%3D32449&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1593221493218000&amp;usg=AFQjCNG44EOOGTAmarSKVLxAZOfeTUSUIw\">summary of the federal legislative proposals<\/a>\u00a0that would provide funding for remote learning and provided detailed information on the SHLB, SECA, FFL proposal that would provide $5.25 billion to pay for laptops\/devices, home connectivity and network security.\u00a0 In all, nearly 2000 school and library officials signed on to the SHLB proposal, including several hundred from Pennsylvania, which was\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.shlb.org\/news\/shlb\/2020\/06\/Over-1900-Americans-Ask-Congress-to-Support-Remote-Learning-Initiative-Amid-Pandemic\/\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.shlb.org\/news\/shlb\/2020\/06\/Over-1900-Americans-Ask-Congress-to-Support-Remote-Learning-Initiative-Amid-Pandemic\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1593221493218000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGVJItki-pr9aMKl6-XBYwHVSLt8g\">sent to Congressional leadership<\/a>\u00a0on June 11.<\/p>\n<p>Until very recently, there was little legislative movement to report. \u00a0However, in the last few days there have been several positive developments that provide hope that a remote learning\/homework gap initiative\u00a0<em>may<\/em>\u00a0become a reality in the next few months.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>On June 18, Speaker Pelosi announced they were preparing to merge several typically unrelated bills into one massive &#8220;infrastructure&#8221; package, worth more than $1.5 trillion to pay for education, housing, clean water, broadband and more.\u00a0 Specifically, she indicated there would be $100 billion for broadband that will \u201cget us to 100 percent coverage.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2020\/06\/18\/house-infrastructure-plan-328946\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2020\/06\/18\/house-infrastructure-plan-328946&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1593221493218000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGCTyd1e8MZdsSVMq7ZBV_syGJAHQ\">https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2020\/06\/18\/house-infrastructure-plan-328946<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Also on June 18,\u00a0House\u00a0Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) and Senate Commerce Committee\u00a0Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) released principles for a legislative framework to expand broadband access and digital opportunity and close the digital divide. \u00a0According to their press release, the framework would serve as a foundation for legislative efforts related to the COVID-19 economic recovery, modernizing the nation\u2019s communications infrastructure, allowing all Americans, regardless of where they live, to participate in the digital economy, and enhancing US\u00a0network security, reliability, and resiliency.\u00a0 Specifically, one of the goals is to \u201cEnsure that students have access to broadband and necessary technologies to complete their homework remotely.\u201d\u00a0 The framework principles can be found at:\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.commerce.senate.gov\/2020\/6\/wicker-walden-release-broadband-connectivity-and-digital-equity-framework\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.commerce.senate.gov\/2020\/6\/wicker-walden-release-broadband-connectivity-and-digital-equity-framework&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1593221493218000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFzISNkFD1Y8wSQIstL0rDhEOUjMg\">https:\/\/www.commerce.senate.gov\/2020\/6\/wicker-walden-release-broadband-connectivity-and-digital-equity-framework<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>The following day, FCC Chairman Pai sent a letter to Congress supporting legislation to ensure that \u201cdoctors, patients, students, teachers, low-income families\u2026 in short, all Americans \u2013 remain connected until this emergency ends.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/docs.fcc.gov\/public\/attachments\/DOC-365042A1.pdf\" class=\"mtli_attachment mtli_pdf\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/docs.fcc.gov\/public\/attachments\/DOC-365042A1.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1593221493218000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEeC7z_5DgYPRbGTLIuFf6y6FX19w\">https:\/\/docs.fcc.gov\/public\/attachments\/DOC-365042A1.pdf<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Today, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce released\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/americaninnovators.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/CTEC_onepager_Broadband_v2.pdf\" class=\"mtli_attachment mtli_pdf\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/americaninnovators.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/CTEC_onepager_Broadband_v2.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1593221493218000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFEzWduN8YhB_fa-yodQj49THa27w\">nine policy principles<\/a>\u00a0aimed at closing America\u2019s digital divide. The principles include policy recommendations for\u00a0funding high-cost broadband, bridging the homework gap, expanding telehealth, and reducing permitting barriers to expand connectivity.\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.uschamber.com\/press-release\/us-chamber-releases-recommendations-closing-the-digital-divide-rural-america\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.uschamber.com\/press-release\/us-chamber-releases-recommendations-closing-the-digital-divide-rural-america&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1593221493218000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH1ScEnHFu61KfaWjSnm8qx3nLfCw\">https:\/\/www.uschamber.com\/press-release\/us-chamber-releases-recommendations-closing-the-digital-divide-rural-america<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0The policy principles were developed by C_TEC\u2019s Telecommunications &amp; E-Commerce Policy Committee, a group of 90 companies and trade associations representing wireless and wireline carriers, satellite providers, broadcasters, technology companies and other stakeholders.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While there\u2019s no guarantee that any of these proposals will become law, the momentum seems to be building.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll keep you updated.\u00a0 Happy summer and continue to stay safe, everyone.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212; Julie<\/p>\n<p>Julie Tritt Schell<br \/>\nPennsylvania E-rate Coordinator<br \/>\n717-730-7133 &#8211; o<br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:jtschell@comcast.net\">jtschell@comcast.net<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.e-ratepaorg.local\/\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=http:\/\/www.e-ratepaorg.local\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1593221493218000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHpvbSbnFDb7tJ-JKCICBHvigtTqg\">www.e-ratepa.org<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"twitter-share\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?via=eratepenn\" class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-size=\"large\">Tweet<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>June 23, 2020<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-listserve_archive"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=32498"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32498\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=32498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=32498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=32498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}