Bill Introduced to Expand Enrollment of Lifeline Program
State grants would support program outreach and enrollment.
WASHINGTON, May 1, 2026 – Legislation to expand enrollment in a federal subsidy program for low-income households was introduced Wednesday.
The Promoting Access to Broadband Act, introduced as H.R.8576 and S.4438, would require the Federal Communications Commission to create a competitive grant program to help states boost participation in the Lifeline program.
The bills’ sponsors Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill., and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill, are targeting a persistent gap: millions of Americans qualify for Lifeline subsidies but are not enrolled.
