S. 4438 — Promoting Access to Broadband Act of 2026

This section directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a competitive grant program awarding grants to at least 25% of applicant States (including the District of Columbia, territories, possessions, and Indian Tribes) to inform covered individuals—qualifying low-income consumers eligible for but not enrolled in the Lifeline program (i.e., FCC program established under 47 C.F.R. pt. 54, subpt. E, providing discounted telecommunications services to low-income households) or potentially eligible based on household participation in specified assistance programs (e.g., SNAP, Medicaid)—of program eligibility, application processes, and the one-per-household limit. States must apply with covered individual counts, agency-involved outreach plans, and estimated reach percentages of eligible-but-not-enrolled individuals; FCC must prioritize applicants with higher covered individual numbers and projected reach, ensure geographic diversity, conduct pre-application outreach to States, issue implementing regulations within 30 days of enactment, enforce via existing Communications Act authorities, and exempt the rulemaking from Administrative Procedure Act notice-and-comment and Paperwork Reduction Act requirements. Grant recipients must use funds to notify covered individuals and serving organizations, provide application assistance, and partner with nonprofits experienced in digital inclusion.

This section directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a grant program, from authorized but unspecified appropriations, to assist eligible states (including the District of Columbia, territories, possessions, and federally recognized Indian Tribes) in connecting their databases—containing information on household benefits such as under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—to the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier. (The Lifeline program provides discounted telephone and broadband services to low-income households, with eligibility verified through the national database.) Eligible entities must apply within 30 days of enactment, the FCC must establish the program within 90 days of enactment, and funds must be disbursed within 120 days thereafter.