Congress·In Committee·H.R. 9144

Closing the Digital Divide for Students Act of 2026

Public Housing: Internet Cost Assistance for Families

Jun 4·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

This bill is one vehicle in a longer effort. See the full story across every version.View effort →

Next up: A house committee

This bill is in the early stages of the legislative process and is sitting with the House Committee on Financial Services. Since June 3, 2026, the committee has not taken any action on the proposal. It is common for bills to stall at this stage without a committee vote.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Unlikely to pass

This bill was introduced by a group of Democrats and has not yet gained support from the other party. Most bills like this stay in committee and do not receive a full vote.

How we got here

This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.

Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 7948 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 7948 (118th) →

Key Points

This bill would help families living in public housing pay for high-speed internet. It treats internet like water or electricity by adding it to the monthly utility allowance that helps lower their rent costs.
To qualify, a family must have children who are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches. This ensures the help goes to students who need the internet for schoolwork and learning.
The government would cover the cheapest monthly internet plan available in the area. It would also pay for one-time setup fees and the cost of buying or renting a modem or router.
The money can only be used for internet service. It cannot be used to pay for cable TV, satellite packages, or home phone lines.
Internet companies would be required to provide tools that block or filter inappropriate content to keep children safe online.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Jun 4, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

Jun 4, 2026

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

No votes, news coverage, or related bills recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Closing the Digital Divide for Students Act of 2026

Bill NumberHR 9144

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on Financial Services.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(6)

D: 6

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.