Illinois 2023-2024 Regular Session

Illinois House Bill HB2470 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB2470 Introduced , by Rep. Aaron M. Ortiz SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act Creates the Low-Income Broadband Assistance Program Act. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to establish a Low-Income Broadband Assistance Program to ensure the availability and affordability of broadband service to low-income families. Provides that the Department shall coordinate with local administrative agencies identified by the Department to determine eligibility for the program, provided that eligible income shall be no more than 150% of the federal poverty level. Provides that families whose annual household income is at or below 135% of the federal poverty level shall be eligible for free broadband service. Provides that a credit of at least $9.95 a month for broadband services shall be payable monthly to: (i) families whose annual household income is greater than 135% but less than 150% of the federal poverty level; and (ii) families that include at least one adult person or dependent child who qualifies for or participates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Supplemental Security Income program, Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefits Programs, or other specified assistance programs. Provides that the $9.95 broadband service credit may be adjusted according to family size. Provides that families who participate in the federal Lifeline program or any other State Internet service subsidy program shall not be eligible to participate in the Low-Income Broadband Assistance Program. Grants rulemaking powers to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. LRB103 29381 DTM 55770 b A BILL FOR 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB2470 Introduced , by Rep. Aaron M. Ortiz SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act New Act Creates the Low-Income Broadband Assistance Program Act. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to establish a Low-Income Broadband Assistance Program to ensure the availability and affordability of broadband service to low-income families. Provides that the Department shall coordinate with local administrative agencies identified by the Department to determine eligibility for the program, provided that eligible income shall be no more than 150% of the federal poverty level. Provides that families whose annual household income is at or below 135% of the federal poverty level shall be eligible for free broadband service. Provides that a credit of at least $9.95 a month for broadband services shall be payable monthly to: (i) families whose annual household income is greater than 135% but less than 150% of the federal poverty level; and (ii) families that include at least one adult person or dependent child who qualifies for or participates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Supplemental Security Income program, Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefits Programs, or other specified assistance programs. Provides that the $9.95 broadband service credit may be adjusted according to family size. Provides that families who participate in the federal Lifeline program or any other State Internet service subsidy program shall not be eligible to participate in the Low-Income Broadband Assistance Program. Grants rulemaking powers to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. LRB103 29381 DTM 55770 b LRB103 29381 DTM 55770 b A BILL FOR
2	2	103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB2470 Introduced , by Rep. Aaron M. Ortiz SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
3	3	New Act New Act
4	4	New Act
5	5	Creates the Low-Income Broadband Assistance Program Act. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to establish a Low-Income Broadband Assistance Program to ensure the availability and affordability of broadband service to low-income families. Provides that the Department shall coordinate with local administrative agencies identified by the Department to determine eligibility for the program, provided that eligible income shall be no more than 150% of the federal poverty level. Provides that families whose annual household income is at or below 135% of the federal poverty level shall be eligible for free broadband service. Provides that a credit of at least $9.95 a month for broadband services shall be payable monthly to: (i) families whose annual household income is greater than 135% but less than 150% of the federal poverty level; and (ii) families that include at least one adult person or dependent child who qualifies for or participates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Supplemental Security Income program, Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefits Programs, or other specified assistance programs. Provides that the $9.95 broadband service credit may be adjusted according to family size. Provides that families who participate in the federal Lifeline program or any other State Internet service subsidy program shall not be eligible to participate in the Low-Income Broadband Assistance Program. Grants rulemaking powers to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
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11	11	1 AN ACT concerning State government.
12	12	2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
13	13	3 represented in the General Assembly:
14	14	4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
15	15	5 Low-Income Broadband Assistance Program Act.
16	16	6 Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Section:
17	17	7 "Broadband service" means a high-speed service connection
18	18	8 to the public Internet capable of supporting, in at least one
19	19	9 direction, a speed in excess of 200 kilobits per second (kbps)
20	20	10 to the network demarcation point at the subscriber's premises.
21	21	11 "Department" means the Department of Commerce and Economic
22	22	12 Opportunity.
23	23	13 "Economic unit" means all adult individuals contributing
24	24	14 to and sharing in the income and expenses of a household.
25	25	15 "Family" or "household" means any individual or group of
26	26	16 individuals who live together at the same address as one
27	27	17 economic unit.
28	28	18 "Federal poverty level" means the poverty guidelines
29	29	19 updated periodically in the Federal Register by the U.S.
30	30	20 Department of Health and Human Services. These guidelines set
31	31	21 poverty levels by family size.
32	32	22 Section 10. Low-Income Broadband Assistance Program. The
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36	36	103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2023 and 2024 HB2470 Introduced , by Rep. Aaron M. Ortiz SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
37	37	New Act New Act
38	38	New Act
39	39	Creates the Low-Income Broadband Assistance Program Act. Requires the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to establish a Low-Income Broadband Assistance Program to ensure the availability and affordability of broadband service to low-income families. Provides that the Department shall coordinate with local administrative agencies identified by the Department to determine eligibility for the program, provided that eligible income shall be no more than 150% of the federal poverty level. Provides that families whose annual household income is at or below 135% of the federal poverty level shall be eligible for free broadband service. Provides that a credit of at least $9.95 a month for broadband services shall be payable monthly to: (i) families whose annual household income is greater than 135% but less than 150% of the federal poverty level; and (ii) families that include at least one adult person or dependent child who qualifies for or participates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Supplemental Security Income program, Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefits Programs, or other specified assistance programs. Provides that the $9.95 broadband service credit may be adjusted according to family size. Provides that families who participate in the federal Lifeline program or any other State Internet service subsidy program shall not be eligible to participate in the Low-Income Broadband Assistance Program. Grants rulemaking powers to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
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67	67	1 Department shall establish a Low-Income Broadband Assistance
68	68	2 Program to ensure the availability and affordability of
69	69	3 broadband service to low-income families. The Department shall
70	70	4 coordinate with local administrative agencies identified by
71	71	5 the Department to determine the eligibility of families for
72	72	6 the program, provided that the income of eligible families
73	73	7 shall be no more than 150% of the federal poverty level.
74	74	8 Section 15. Eligible families.
75	75	9 (a) Families whose annual household income is at or below
76	76	10 135% of the federal poverty level shall be eligible for free
77	77	11 broadband service.
78	78	12 (b) A credit of at least $9.95 a month for broadband
79	79	13 services shall be payable monthly to:
80	80	14 (1) families whose annual household income is greater
81	81	15 than 135% but less than 150% above the federal poverty
82	82	16 level; and
83	83	17 (2) families that include at least one adult person or
84	84	18 dependent child who qualifies for or received benefits
85	85	19 under one of the following programs:
86	86	20 (A) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
87	87	21 (B) Supplemental Security Income program.
88	88	22 (C) Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefits
89	89	23 Programs.
90	90	24 (D) Federal Public Housing Assistance Program.
91	91	25 (E) Medical Assistance Program under Article V of
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102	102	1 the Illinois Public Aid Code.
103	103	2 (F) Tribal Programs for Native Americans.
104	104	3 (G) National School Lunch Program.
105	105	4 Credit amounts provided under this subsection (b) may be
106	106	5 adjusted according to family size as prescribed by the
107	107	6 Department.
108	108	7 (c) Families who receive a discount for broadband service
109	109	8 under the federal Lifeline program or any other State Internet
110	110	9 service subsidy program shall not be eligible to participate
111	111	10 in the Low-Income Broadband Assistance Program if they elect
112	112	11 to remain enrolled in those other programs.
113	113	12 Section 20. Eligibility. To be eligible for free broadband
114	114	13 service or a monthly credit for broadband service under this
115	115	14 Act, an applicant must provide proof of eligibility in the
116	116	15 form and manner prescribed by the Department.
117	117	16 Section 25. Broadband service payments and credit.
118	118	17 (a) For each family enrolled in the Low-Income Broadband
119	119	18 Assistance Program, the Department shall remit, through local
120	120	19 administrative agencies identified by the Department, to the
121	121	20 broadband service provider that portion of the family's bill
122	122	21 that is not the responsibility of the family. For purposes of
123	123	22 this Section, payment is due on the date specified on the
124	124	23 family's bill. The Department, the Department of Revenue, and
125	125	24 the local administrative agencies identified by the Department
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136	136	1 shall adopt processes that provide for the timely payment
137	137	2 required by this Section.
138	138	3 (b) Each family that receives a credit for broadband
139	139	4 service under subsection (b) of Section 15 is responsible for
140	140	5 all actual charges for broadband service in excess of the
141	141	6 credit provided under subsection (b) of Section 15. The
142	142	7 Department may terminate a program participant's eligibility
143	143	8 for the credit available under subsection (b) of Section 15
144	144	9 upon notification by the broadband service provider that the
145	145	10 participant's monthly service payment is more than 45 days
146	146	11 past due.
147	147	12 Section 30. Rules. The Department may adopt any rules
148	148	13 necessary to implement the provisions of this Act.
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