SR0785 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0785 LRB103 39408 MST 69590 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Access to affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband service is essential to full participation in modern life in the State and throughout the United States; and

WHEREAS, The persistent digital divide in the State and in the United States is a barrier to economic competitiveness in the economic distribution of essential public services, including health care and education; and

WHEREAS, In 2021, as part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act's historic investment in broadband infrastructure and digital equity, Congress appropriated more than 14 billion dollars for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP); and

WHEREAS, Based on the current take rates, the more than 14 billion dollars in funding appropriated for the ACP could be exhausted in early 2024; and

WHEREAS, The ACP has been a tremendous success, with almost 700,000 Illinois households enrolled in the program and 23,000,000 households enrolled nationally; and

WHEREAS, The ACP has been a critical tool in helping bridge the digital divide that exists between those who have access to modern information and communications technology and those who do not; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge each member of the Illinois Congressional Delegation to support continued funding of the ACP so that low-income Illinois households can continue to receive the support they need to participate in the digital marketplace; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the President of the United States, the U.S. Senate Majority Leader, the U.S. Senate Minority Leader, the U.S. Speaker of the House, the U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader, and all members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation.