Bill Overview
Title: Tribal Connect Act of 2022
Description: This bill expands tribal access to the Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support (E-rate) program, which provides discounted broadband internet access and telecommunications services to certain schools and libraries. It also establishes a pilot program to provide broadband internet access service to essential community-serving institutions (e.g., community centers) located on tribal land.
Sponsors: Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3]
Target Audience
Population: People living in tribal lands worldwide
Estimated Size: 2400000
- The bill focuses on expanding broadband internet access in tribal areas, which primarily affects Native American communities.
- By expanding access to the E-rate program, more tribal schools and libraries will be able to afford broadband services.
- Introducing a pilot program to provide broadband access to community-serving institutions directly impacts those living in and interacting with these facilities on tribal lands.
- Better internet access can improve educational outcomes for students and increase opportunities for community development in tribal areas.
Reasoning
- The policy is designed to enhance broadband access on tribal lands, which should directly benefit tribal schools, libraries, and community centers, making digital education and services more accessible.
- Due to the limited budget, initial impacts might be clustered around community hot-spots rather than individual households. Long-term benefits will emerge more broadly as the infrastructure develops and extends.
- The target population is primarily individuals living on tribal lands, estimated at 2.4 million in the US, meaning the impacts should reflect this demographic.
- Not everyone in this demographic will be significantly affected immediately, as the rollout and adoption rates may vary; some may experience no impact at all if they already have adequate access.
Simulated Interviews
Teacher (Navajo Nation, Arizona)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The lack of stable internet has been a continuous challenge in delivering effective education.
- If the policy improves internet access, teaching will become less stressful and more resourceful.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
High School Student (Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota)
Age: 17 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this means better internet at school, so I can learn more about computer programming.
- I'd be able to access a lot more learning materials if the internet improves.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Small Business Owner (Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Access to reliable internet could really boost my business sales.
- The current internet service often fails, disrupting my ability to reach customers.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Retired (Wind River Reservation, Wyoming)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Improved internet services would make healthcare management much easier for me.
- I depend on online medical consultations, so better internet would be beneficial.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Community Center Volunteer (Yakama Reservation, Washington)
Age: 24 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this policy helps our community center to access better technology.
- Having reliable internet can expand our educational activities significantly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Library Director (Osage Nation, Oklahoma)
Age: 39 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Our library could offer so much more with better internet access from this program.
- We are eager to implement digital learning initiatives and digital book access.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Healthcare Worker (Turtle Mountain Reservation, North Dakota)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Reliable internet would definitely improve telemedicine services for the reservation.
- Currently, many appointments are dropped because of poor internet on both ends.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Non-Profit Worker (Colville Reservation, Washington)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm hopeful this policy will make our educational outreach more effective.
- It's difficult to provide comprehensive online educational content due to poor internet.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Community Health Worker (Ho-Chunk Nation, Wisconsin)
Age: 52 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Better internet would allow us to reach more community members with health information.
- Our outreach programs are severely limited by the lack of reliable internet.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
College Student (Gila River Indian Community, Arizona)
Age: 19 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm optimistic this policy will improve our internet, making remote study easier.
- Sharing a weak internet connection with family makes studying stressful.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $40000000, High: $60000000)
Year 2: $48000000 (Low: $38000000, High: $58000000)
Year 3: $46000000 (Low: $36000000, High: $56000000)
Year 5: $42000000 (Low: $32000000, High: $52000000)
Year 10: $38000000 (Low: $28000000, High: $48000000)
Year 100: $1000000 (Low: $500000, High: $1500000)
Key Considerations
- Ensuring that participating institutions on tribal lands have the necessary infrastructure to utilize improved internet connectivity.
- The impact of internet access on educational outcomes for tribal communities may take time to manifest.
- Assessing and ensuring effective program implementation in diverse tribal regions with varying needs and challenges.