The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Mitch McConnell

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi

Speaker

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Mitch McConnell

Majority Leader

U.S. Senate

Washington D.C. 20510

The Honorable Kevin McCarthy

Minority Leader

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Charles Schumer

Minority Leader

U.S. Senate

Washington D.C. 20510

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader McCarthy, and Minority Leader

Schumer,

The 1,900 plus individuals below write in strong support of legislation drafted by the Schools, Health &

Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition, the State E-rate Coordinators¡¯ Alliance (SECA), and Funds for

Learning to provide funding to connect students, teachers and adult learners to high-speed Internet

access services. We are very concerned that schools and libraries will not be able to return to full

operation in the fall, and many students, teachers and adult learners will need immediate financial

assistance to access broadband connectivity at home to engage in on-line learning.

Our proposed ¡°Remote Learning During COVID-19 Act¡± appropriates $5.25 billion to a separate

emergency fund to be administered by the Federal Communications Commission to connect students,

teachers and library patrons to broadband at home. This bill reflects the new reality that the traditional

classroom model has had to shift to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to keep

students and teachers safe and healthy. This initiative is backed up by NCES and GAO data and other

research conducted by Funds for Learning, which calculates that $5.25 billion is needed to ensure that

the 7 million families that cannot afford broadband internet access are able to do so.

Our proposed bill builds on the good legislation introduced by Rep. Grace Meng (H.R. 6563) and Senator

Ed Markey (S. 3690) and would strengthen those bills in the following ways:

1) It provides one-time emergency funding of $5.25 billion to the FCC for the creation of a separate

remote learning initiative;

2) It provides funding for home broadband service, broadband network equipment, end-user

devices (such as laptops or tablets);

3) It provides funding for cybersecurity so that schools and libraries can protect their networks

against ransomware and cyberattacks, which have been on the increase;

4) It ensures that all broadband providers are eligible to participate (provider-neutral);

5) It explicitly allows schools and libraries to extend their existing networks to serve the

surrounding community (including for backhaul) without jeopardizing their existing universal

service funding;

6) It directs the FCC to set funding caps for each school district (or independent school) and library

to ensure fiscal integrity and so that schools and libraries know how much funding is available

for their planning purposes;

7)

It allows expenditures back to the beginning of the COVID-19 emergency declaration;

8) It streamlines and expedites the review and approval process so that schools and libraries can

receive their funding soon after the bill¡¯s passage and can implement online instruction and

learning in the fall.

We urge you to incorporate the provisions from the ¡°Remote Learning During COVID-19 Act¡± in the next

Coronavirus relief legislation and to enact this legislation this summer.

Sincerely,

Debra M. Kriete, Chair

State E-rate Coordinators¡¯

Alliance (SECA)

Mechanicsburg, PA

John Harrington, CEO

Funds for Learning

Edmond, OK

John Windhausen, Jr.,

Executive Director

Schools, Health & Libraries

Broadband (SHLB) Coalition

Washington, DC

Public Interest Groups & Associations

Joann

Womack

Technology

Coordinator/Integrationist

South Central Service

Cooperative

Camden

AR

Allen

Dunn

Technology Coordinator

Monticello

AR

Andrea

Bennett

Executive Director

Sacramento

CA

Don

Means

Director

Sausalito

CA

Mark

Miller

Executive Director

Southeast Arkansas

Education Service

Cooperative

California IT in

Education

Gigabit Libraries

Network



San Carlos

CA

Mariel

Triggs

CEO

MuralNet

Oakland

CA

Marijke

Visser

DC

Calabrese

Washington

DC

Jenna

Leventoff

Senior Policy Counsel

American Library

Association

Open Technology

Institute at New

America

Public Knowledge

Washington

Michael

Associate Director and Senior

Policy Advocate

Director, Wireless Future

Program

Washington

DC

John

Windhausen

Executive Director

SHLB Coalition

Washington

DC

Timothy

Cherubini

Executive Director

Chief Officers of State

Library Agencies

Algiers Charter School

Association Inc

Educators For Quality

Alternatives

Louisiana Resource

Center for Educators

(LRCE)

Massachusetts

Computer Using

Educators - MassCUE

Lexington

KY

Renae'

Montegut

CFO

New Orleans

LA

Shane

Colman

Operations Director

New Orleans

LA

Kyle

Finke

Executive Director

Baton Rouge

LA

Tracy

Sockalosky

Chairman Of Influence And

Advocacy Committee, Masscue

Bedford

MA

Annamaria

Schrimpf

President METAA

Massachusetts

Educational Technology

Administrators

Association (METAA)

Grahamtastic

Connection

North Carolina Rural

Center

Children's Home

Framingham

MA

Leslie

Morissette

Executive Director

Springvale

ME

Patrick

Woodie

President

Raleigh

NC

Jill

Smith

Superintendent/Director

Cincinnati

OH

Angela

Siefer

Executive Director

National Digital

Inclusion Alliance

Southwest Ohio

Computer Association

Allies for Children

Columbus

OH

Donna

Davis

Executive Director

Hamilton

OH

Jamie

Baxter

Education Policy Director

Pittsburgh

PA

Pansy

LambertKnowles

Director Of Data & Reporting

ASPIRA, Inc of

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia

PA

Geoff

Craven

Executive Director

West Milton

PA

Sara

Frey

Educational Consultation

Harrisburg

PA

John

George

Executive Director

Enola

PA

Christi

Buker

Executive Director

Mechanicsburg

PA

Anneliese

Martinez

Field Director

National Association of

Media and Technology

Centers (NAMTC)

PaTTAN (PA Training &

Technical Assistance

Network)

Pennsylvania

Association of

Intermediate Units

Pennsylvania Library

Association

Remake Learning

Pittsburgh

PA

Pamela

Weston

Vice President

Sweetwater

TN

Casey

Ritchie

Chief Technology Officer

Midland

TX

Chuck

Kirby

Vice President Of Broadband

Programs

Progressive Rural

Overhill Women for

Democracy

Region 18 Education

Service Center

Center for Innovative

Technology

Herndon

VA

Jennifer

Leasure

President and CEO

Quilt

Seattle

WA

Spencer

Bonnie

Executive Director

Achieve Brown County

Green Bay

WI

Tatjana

Bicanin

Executive Director

Building Our Future

Kenosha County

Kenosha

WI

Danae

Davis

Executive Director

Milwaukee Succeeds

Milwaukee

WI

Sara

Gold

Community Liaison

WiLS

Madison

WI

Educators

Lori

Zirlott

Chief School Financial Officer

Board of School

Commissioners of

Mobile County

Mobile

AL

Juan

Cepero

District Technology Coordinator

Dale County Board of

Education

Ozark

AL

Stacey

Gray

Technology Director

Etowah County Board of

Education

Gadsden

AL

David

Akridge

Chief Information Officer

Mobile County Public

Schools

Mobile

AL

Michele

Collier

Technology Coordinator

Mobile

AL

Stacy

Royster

Director Of Technology

Mobile County Public

Schools

Opelika City Schools

Opelika

AL

Denton

Thompson

E-rate Coordinator

Alma School District

Alma

AR

Andy

Martin

Technology Director

Cabot

AR

Joel

Dean

Technology Coordinator

Cabot Public School

District

Conway Public Schools

Conway

AR

Taylor

Gattis

Superintendent

Branch

AR

Bailey

Cotton

Director Of Technology

County Line School

District

Huntsville School

District

Huntsville

AR

Rick

MacAfee

Superintendent

Nevada School District

Rosston

AR

David

Pilgrim

Technology Coordinator

Ozark Mountain School

District

Saint Joe

AR

Nathan

Cline

Technology Coordinator

Ozarks Unlimited

Resources Educational

Service Cooperative

Harrison

AR

Shawn

Witt

CIO

Prairie Grove School

District

Prairie Grove

AR

David

Griffis

Director Of Information

Technology

Casa Grande Union High

School District

Casa Grande

AZ

Angelica

Lucero

Business Manager

Patagonia Union High

School

Patagonia

AZ

Stephen

Saint-Coeur

IT Director

Rio Rico

AZ

Amy

West

Director Of Network Systems

Santa Cruz Valley

Unified School District

No. 35

Thatcher Unified School

District #4

Thatcher

AZ

David

Griffis

Director Of Information

Technology

Toltec School District

Eloy

AZ

Ian

Byerrum

Technology Coordinator

Ackerman Charter

School District

Auburn

CA

Susan

Yu

Executive Secretary

Alhambra Unified

School District

Alhambra

CA

Kimberly

Morinaka

Teacher

Alhambra Unified

School District

Alhambra

CA

Jose

Castro

Computer Technician

Alhambra Unified

School District

Alhambra

CA

Maynor

Garcia

VP of Technology

Alliance College-Ready

Public Schools

Los Angeles

CA

Lutfi

Escheik

Director Of Technology

Alview-Dairyland Union

School District

Chowchilla

CA

Erik

Greenwood

Chief Technology Officer

Anaheim Union High

School District

Anaheim

CA

Brad

Minami

Director, Purchasing And

Central Services

Anaheim Union High

School District

Anaheim

CA

Brian

Anderson

Project Manager

Arcadia Unified School

District

Arcadia

CA

Lisa

Taylor

Site Director/Principal

Fresno

CA

Raul

Trejo

Assistant Site Director

Aspen Meadow Public

School

Aspen Public Schools

Fresno

CA

Sarah

Crantz

Director Of Special Education

Aspen Public Schools

Fresno

CA

Shelly

Lether

Executive Director

Aspen Public Schools

Fresno

CA

Michael

Lee

Operations Director

Aspen Public Schools

Fresno

CA

Hilary

Witts

Director Of Summit Learning

Aspen Public Schools

Fresno

CA

Jeanine

Hawk

CFO

Aspire Public Schools

Oakland

CA

Joe

Regueiro

Director Of Technology

Aspire Public Schools

Oakland

CA

Douglas

Rauda

Network Analyst

Azusa

CA

Rick

Hassler

Chief Technology Officer

Azusa Unified School

District

Baldwin Park Unified

School District

Baldwin Park

CA

Manuel

Sanchez

IT Infrastructure Systems

Manager

Baldwin Park Unified

School District

Baldwin Park

CA

Kerrie

Dennis

Network Technician I

Baldwin Park Unified

School District

Baldwin Park

CA

Mac

Patel

Director of IT

Banning Unified School

District

Banning

CA

Gabriel

Rivera

Director, Technology

Bassett Unified School

District

La Puente

CA

Jonnell

Sanchez

Personnel Analyst

Bassett Unified School

District

La Puente

CA

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