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

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.