House Democratic members released an updated version of the HEROES Act legislation on September 29 that passed on a party line vote.
The revised bill includes $12 billion to close the homework gap by providing funding for Wi-Fi hotspots and connected devices for students and library patrons, $3 billion for emergency home connectivity, $200 million for telemedicine grants and $24 million for broadband mapping.
It prohibits broadband and telephone providers from terminating service due to a customer’s inability to pay their bill or imposing late fees because of financial hardships caused by the pandemic. Additionally, it prohibits broadband providers from employing data caps or charging customers from going over data caps and requires them to open Wi-Fi hotspots to the public at no cost during the pandemic.