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1 | AN ACT concerning State government.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | |||||||||||||||||||
5 | Low-Income Broadband Assistance Program Act. | |||||||||||||||||||
6 | Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Section: | |||||||||||||||||||
7 | "Broadband service" means a high-speed service connection | |||||||||||||||||||
8 | to the public Internet capable of supporting, in at least one | |||||||||||||||||||
9 | direction, a speed in excess of 200 kilobits per second (kbps) | |||||||||||||||||||
10 | to the network demarcation point at the subscriber's premises. | |||||||||||||||||||
11 | "Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic | |||||||||||||||||||
12 | Opportunity. | |||||||||||||||||||
13 | "Economic unit" means all adult individuals contributing | |||||||||||||||||||
14 | to and sharing in the income and expenses of a household. | |||||||||||||||||||
15 | "Family" or "household" means any individual or group of | |||||||||||||||||||
16 | individuals who live together at the same address as one | |||||||||||||||||||
17 | economic unit. | |||||||||||||||||||
18 | "Federal poverty level" means the poverty guidelines | |||||||||||||||||||
19 | updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||
20 | Department of Health and Human Services. These guidelines set | |||||||||||||||||||
21 | poverty levels by family size. | |||||||||||||||||||
22 | Section 10. Low-Income Broadband Assistance Program. The |
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1 | Department shall establish a Low-Income Broadband Assistance | ||||||
2 | Program to ensure the availability and affordability of | ||||||
3 | broadband service to low-income families. The Department shall | ||||||
4 | coordinate with local administrative agencies identified by | ||||||
5 | the Department to determine the eligibility of families for | ||||||
6 | the program, provided that the income of eligible families | ||||||
7 | shall be no more than 150% of the federal poverty level. | ||||||
8 | Section 15. Eligible families. | ||||||
9 | (a) Families whose annual household income is at or below | ||||||
10 | 135% of the federal poverty level shall be eligible for free | ||||||
11 | broadband service. | ||||||
12 | (b) A credit of at least $9.95 a month for broadband | ||||||
13 | services shall be payable monthly to: | ||||||
14 | (1) families whose annual household income is greater | ||||||
15 | than 135% but less than 150% above the federal poverty | ||||||
16 | level; and | ||||||
17 | (2) families that include at least one adult person or | ||||||
18 | dependent child who qualifies for or received benefits | ||||||
19 | under one of the following programs: | ||||||
20 | (A) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. | ||||||
21 | (B) Supplemental Security Income program. | ||||||
22 | (C)
Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefits | ||||||
23 | Programs. | ||||||
24 | (D)
Federal Public Housing Assistance Program. | ||||||
25 | (E)
Medical Assistance Program under Article V of |
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1 | the Illinois Public Aid Code. | ||||||
2 | (F) Tribal Programs for Native Americans. | ||||||
3 | (G)
National School Lunch Program. | ||||||
4 | Credit amounts provided under this subsection (b) may be | ||||||
5 | adjusted according to family size as prescribed by the | ||||||
6 | Department. | ||||||
7 | (c) Families who receive a discount for broadband service | ||||||
8 | under the federal Lifeline program or any other State Internet | ||||||
9 | service subsidy program shall not be eligible to participate | ||||||
10 | in the Low-Income Broadband Assistance Program if they elect | ||||||
11 | to remain enrolled in those other programs. | ||||||
12 | Section 20. Eligibility. To be eligible for free broadband | ||||||
13 | service or a monthly credit for broadband service under this | ||||||
14 | Act, an applicant must provide proof of eligibility in the | ||||||
15 | form and manner prescribed by the Department. | ||||||
16 | Section 25. Broadband service payments and credit. | ||||||
17 | (a) For each family enrolled in the Low-Income Broadband | ||||||
18 | Assistance Program, the Department shall remit, through local | ||||||
19 | administrative agencies identified by the Department, to the | ||||||
20 | broadband service provider that portion of the family's bill | ||||||
21 | that is not the responsibility of the family. For purposes of | ||||||
22 | this Section, payment is due on the date specified on the | ||||||
23 | family's bill. The Department, the Department of Revenue, and | ||||||
24 | the local administrative agencies identified by the Department |
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1 | shall adopt processes that provide for the timely payment | ||||||
2 | required by this Section. | ||||||
3 | (b) Each family that receives a credit for broadband | ||||||
4 | service under subsection (b) of Section 15 is responsible for | ||||||
5 | all actual charges for broadband service in excess of the | ||||||
6 | credit provided under subsection (b) of Section 15. The | ||||||
7 | Department may terminate a program participant's eligibility | ||||||
8 | for the credit available under subsection (b) of Section 15 | ||||||
9 | upon notification by the broadband service provider that the | ||||||
10 | participant's monthly service payment is more than 45 days | ||||||
11 | past due. | ||||||
12 | Section 30. Rules. The Department may adopt any rules | ||||||
13 | necessary to implement the provisions of this Act.
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