Tribal

Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Expand Universal Service Fund Coverage in Indian Country

Bill would amend the Communications Act to formally include Tribal communities in universal service.

Akul Saxena

Nov 19, 2025 — 2 min read

Photo of Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., from his website.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2025 — Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Calif., introduced a bill Tuesday to strengthen federal broadband support in Indian Country by revising the nation’s universal service statute to explicitly include Tribal communities.

The Tribal Internet Expansion Act of 2025 would amend the Communications Act of 1934 to add areas with high populations of Native residents to the federal universal service principles that guide broadband support in “rural, insular and high-cost” regions. Federal data shows that about one in four people on Tribal lands still lack access to reliable high-speed internet.

Schiff said Tribal communities needed reliable, accessible and affordable service to fully participate in the “technologies so vital to economic growth and success.” Ruiz said the bill would strengthen the Universal Service Fund, which supports high-cost networks and low-income households, to ensure Indian Country is better served.

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Tribal Indian Country California USF Communications Act of 1934 Adam Schiff Raul Ruiz Charles Martin Morongo Band Mission Indians Larry Wright Jr. National Congress of American Indians Digital Divide Francys Crevier National Council of Urban Indian Health

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