text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Serving Everyone with Reliable, 
  Vital Internet, Communications, and Education Act of 2007''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      The Congress finds the following:
              (1) Today's telecommunications market offers consumers an 
          array of social, economic, and educational communications.
              (2) Communications today also offer Americans better access 
          to emergency assistance.
              (3) It is essential to the Nation's continued progress for 
          all sectors of the population to have adequate access to 
          telecommunications. America must work to reduce and ultimately 
          eliminate the harmful technological divide.
              (4) The Congress reaffirms the Nation's public policy 
          commitment to providing universal service. All consumers should 
          have access to high-quality telecommunications services at 
          affordable rates.
  
  SEC. 3. UNIVERSAL SERVICE.
  
      Subsection (j) of section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
  U.S.C. 254) is amended to read as follows:
      ``(j) Lifeline Assistance; Link Up America.--
              ``(1) Purposes.--The purposes of this subsection are--
                      ``(A) to advance universal service; and
                      ``(B) to ensure that high-quality 
                  telecommunications services and other evolving 
                  telecommunication technologies, such as Internet access 
                  and broadband services, are available to low-income 
                  consumers at just, reasonable, and affordable rates.
              ``(2) Continuation and expansion of programs.--For the 
          purposes described in paragraph (1), the Commission--
                      ``(A) shall continue in effect the Lifeline 
                  Assistance Program and the Link Up Program; and
                      ``(B) expand such programs under paragraph (3).
              ``(3) Expansion.--The Commission shall expand the 
          assistance provided through the Lifeline Assistance Program and 
          the Link Up Program by allowing low-income consumers 
          participating in such programs to choose to use such assistance 
          for any one of the following:
                      ``(A) Wire or wireless telephone service.
                      ``(B) Internet access service.
                      ``(C) Wire or wireless broadband service.
                      ``(D) Any evolving technology the Commission deems 
                  consistent with the purposes described in paragraph 
                  (1).
              ``(4) Rule of construction.--This subsection shall not be 
          construed--
                      ``(A) to affect any program under this section 
                  other than the Lifeline Assistance Program or the Link 
                  Up Program; or
                      ``(B) except as inconsistent with the provisions of 
                  this subsection, to affect the authority of the 
                  Commission to make modifications to the Lifeline 
                  Assistance Program or the Link Up Program.
              ``(5) Definitions.--In this subsection:
                      ``(A) The term `broadband service' means high-speed 
                  Internet access service--
                              ``(i) offering integrated access to voice 
                          communications, high-speed data service, video-
                          demand services, and interactive delivery 
                          services; and
                              ``(ii) transmitting data at speeds 
                          exceeding 200 kilobits per second, in at least 
                          one direction, from the user's computer to the 
                          Internet or from the Internet to the user's 
                          computer.
                      ``(B) The term `Lifeline Assistance Program' means 
                  the Lifeline Assistance Program provided for by the 
                  Commission under subpart E of title 47, Code of Federal 
                  Regulations (and any related or successor regulations).
                      ``(C) The term `Link Up Program' means the Link Up 
                  Program provided for by the Commission under subpart E 
                  of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations (and any 
                  related or successor regulations).''.
  
  SEC. 4. STUDY.
  
      (a) Study.--Not later than May 1, 2008, the Federal Communications 
  Commission shall conduct a study and submit a report to the Congress on 
  the following:
              (1) The necessary benefit level for a household 
          participating in the Lifeline Assistance Program or the Link Up 
          Program which will encourage low-income consumers to seek 
          broadband service.
              (2) Projections on the potential of new broadband service 
          consumers who would seek this service if economically 
          accessible.
              (3) Industry requirements to provide broadband service 
          access in underserved areas.
              (4) Data that accurately illustrates the extent of current 
          deployment of broadband service to residential users.
              (5) Policy proposals conducive to addressing gaps in 
          broadband service availability.
      (b) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``broadband service'', 
  ``Lifeline Assistance Program'', and ``Link Up Program'' have the 
  meanings given to those terms in section 254(j) of the Communications 
  Act of 1934, as amended by section 3 of this Act.
target: Serving Everyone with Reliable, Vital Internet, Communications, and Education Act of 2007 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to expand the Lifeline Assistance Program and the Link Up Program. Requires a report to Congress on the benefit level for the programs that will encourage low-income consumers to seek broadband service, projections on potential broadband consumers if the service was economically feasible, industry requirements to provide broadband service in underserved areas, and policy proposals regarding gaps in broadband availability.
feat_title: To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to continue in effect and expand the Lifeline Assistance Program and the Link Up Program, and for other purposes.