Digital Opportunity Foundation Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill creates a new nonprofit called the Foundation for Digital Opportunity, designed to help more Americans get online and learn to use technology safely. It will work alongside existing federal agencies like the FCC and NTIA but will operate independently and raise its own money from private donors, businesses, and philanthropic groups.
• The foundation will award grants to local communities for projects that boost digital literacy, including teaching people how to use artificial intelligence, protect their online privacy, and stay safe from cybersecurity threats. It can also set up for-profit subsidiaries and an impact investment fund to support startups and attract private investment.
• The foundation targets "covered populations" who often lack reliable internet or digital skills, including seniors, rural residents, tribal communities, and low-income families. It will collaborate with schools, libraries, minority-serving institutions, and local governments to close the digital divide.
• A board of at least 15 appointed members from academia, industry, nonprofits, and government will oversee the foundation. The bill authorizes funding starting in fiscal year 2027 to set up the establishment committee, with operational funding for the foundation beginning in fiscal year 2028 and continuing in 2029 and beyond.
• The foundation can support the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program when federal funding falls short, and it will back programs supporting broadband deployment including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program and the Universal Service Fund.

Votes

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Related Bills

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