Senators Propose FAA Reauthorization Amendment to Fund ACP

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2024 – A bipartisan group of senators is working to attach to the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill an amendment that would infuse the Affordable Connectivity Program with $6 billion.

In addition to shoring up the fund, the amendment filed Tuesday would tighten the program’s eligibility requirements. The threshold for income would be reduced to 135 percent of the federal poverty line, down from the current 200 percent, and households receiving free school meals through the USDA’s Community Eligibility Provision would no longer be eligible for the benefit. Participants would also have to be verified by the Federal Communications Commission’s eligibility database.