Digital Equity Foundation Act
A group of U.S. Senators introduced the Digital Equity Foundation Act. This new federal legislation would establish a nonprofit foundation to work on digital literacy, inclusion, and, ultimately, aims to close the digital divide.
As proposed by Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) the foundation would meet these goals with the support of both public and private investments. It would supplement the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which is a federal agency within the executive branch that advises the president on telecommunications and information policy issues, as well as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In short, this legislation aims to create a nonprofit that will lead the federal work toward achieving digital equity.
Congress creating a nonprofit is not a new approach as we have seen this method used in other existing federal agencies. We’ve seen it with the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Park Service. As with the proposed new organization, all of those agencies have supplemental nonprofits that work to leverage public-private partnerships in support of their goals. Another function of such groups is to support innovation. While the legislation’s proponents have hailed the $65 billion approved by Congress toward expanding internet access as a watershed moment in the push to close the digital divide, they are calling for a new foundation to make sure other digital gaps are bridged, too.
“As our world rapidly shifts online, Americans must be equipped with the knowledge and skills to use technology properly and successfully,” Luján, who chairs the Senate subcommittee on communications, media and broadband, told The Technology 202.
The new foundation would be managed by a board of experts from various fields in tech and telecommunications. The detailed the legislation in a recent press release. Since its release it has already gained support from some of the nation’s leading organizations on digital inclusion, including the National Digital Inclusion Alliance.
This marks a new and ongoing focus on digital equity from decision-makers at the federal level. In 2021, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act also allocated $2.75 billion for digital equity work in the U.S., a historic amount.
Sources:
Democrats propose foundation to boost digital equity efforts – The Washington Post
