# 114-hr-5537: Digital GAP Act

114-hr-5537, Digital GAP Act, is a 114th Congress bill sponsored by ED ROYCE (R-CA); status Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-5537
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 114-hr-5537
- Congress: 114
- Title: Digital GAP Act
- Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
- Introduced: 2016-06-21
- Sponsor: ED ROYCE (R-CA)
- Cosponsors: 7
- Policy area: International Affairs
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Digital Global Access Policy Act of 2016 or the Digital GAP Act This bill expresses the sense of Congress that: the title of the Department of State's Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment should be changed to Under Secretary for Economics, Energy, the Environment, and Cyberspace; the State Department should designate an Assistant Secretary for Technology, International Communications, and Cyberspace to lead diplomatic cyberspace policy for Internet access, governance, and freedom, telecommunications networks and communications technology, and cybersecurity; and the U.S. Agency for International Development should integrate efforts to expand Internet access, develop appropriate technologies, and enhance digital literacy into its education, development, and economic growth programs, and promote protection of the personal information of people served by humanitarian, disaster, and development programs. The Peace Corps Act is amended to express the sense of Congress that the Peace Corps should develop volunteer positions focused on leveraging technology for development, education, and social and economic mobility. The President is urged to direct U.S. representatives to international bodies to advocate for: (1) increasing efforts to promote gender-equitable Internet access, (2) standardizing inclusion of broadband conduit-fiber optic cables, and (3) providing technical assistance to remove investment barriers and strengthen market growth. The President shall transmit plans to Congress to promote U.S. and U.S.-funded agency partnerships with the private and public sectors to provide Internet access or infrastructure in developing countries. The President is urged to include in the next White House Cyberspace Strategy information relating to: (1) Internet access, (2) cybersecurity policy, and (3) principles of global Internet freedom.

## Cosponsors (7)

- Rep. McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [R-WA-5] (R-WA), 2016-06-21T00:00:00.000Z
- ELIOT ENGEL (D-NY), 2016-06-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6] (D-NY), 2016-06-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10] (R-TX), 2016-07-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bass, Karen [D-CA-37] (D-CA), 2016-07-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cicilline, David N. [D-RI-1] (D-RI), 2016-07-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kilmer, Derek [D-WA-6] (D-WA), 2016-09-07T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 114-hr-5732: Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2016
- 114-hr-2737: Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015
- 114-hr-2722: Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Act
- 114-hr-2494: Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt Wildlife Trafficking Act of 2016
- 114-hr-6: 21st Century Cures Act
- 114-hr-893: Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Act

## Sources
- [114-hr-5537 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/5537)

## Related
- [114-hr-5732: Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2016](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-5732)
- [114-hr-2737: Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-2737)
- [114-hr-2722: Breast Cancer Awareness Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-2722)
- [114-hr-2494: Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt Wildlife Trafficking Act of 2016](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-2494)
- [114-hr-6: 21st Century Cures Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-6)
- [114-hr-893: Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-893)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-5537 (as of 2025-11-18).