# 119-hr-8936: Digital Opportunity Foundation Act of 2026

119-hr-8936, Digital Opportunity Foundation Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7] (D-CA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-07-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8936
- As of: 2026-07-01
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-8936
- Congress: 119
- Title: Digital Opportunity Foundation Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-05-20
- Sponsor: Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7] (D-CA)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-07-01

## Summary

**would establish a nonprofit Foundation to promote digital opportunity and boost broadband adoption** for communities with low adoption and coordinate with federal, state, Tribal, and private partners to expand digital literacy and access. The Foundation would raise and match public and private funds, run grants and training programs, and align with NTIA and FCC programs to increase use of broadband for telehealth, distance learning, and online services. - Families and households in underserved areas would gain new grant-funded programs aimed at digital literacy, device access, and skills training to support telehealth, distance learning, and online access to benefits. These programs are targeted at communities with low adoption rates. - Tribal, rural, and state or local governments would get a formal partner that coordinates with the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program and the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program to boost adoption and outreach. The Foundation may mobilize federal, state, and private resources to support those efforts. - Nonprofits, universities, and community groups could compete for grants awarded through transparent merit-based processes that emphasize equity, demonstrated need, and cost effectiveness. The Board must be appointed with diverse sector representation and appointed members may serve up to five years per term. *Authorizations are included for funds to form the initial Committee in FY2027 and to support Foundation operations beginning in FY2028 and thereafter.*

## Provisions PRIA read

- Grants to boost internet skills: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Foundation would be able to award grants to local groups to improve internet skills and increase broadband adoption. Grants would be picked by merit and factors like expected impact on digital inclusion, geographic reach, cost‑effectiveness, and alignment with the Foundation’s plan.…
- Foundation board rules and audits: benefit, low. If enacted, the Foundation’s Board would have to write bylaws and standards on donations, limits on donor designations, and ownership and licensing of inventions from Foundation projects. The Board would adopt ethics, financial disclosure, and conflict‑of‑interest rules that bar members from acting…
- Private nonprofit to expand digital access: mixed, low. If enacted, the bill would create a private nonprofit called the Foundation for Digital Opportunity and require it to seek 501(c) tax‑exempt status. The United States would not be liable for the Foundation’s debts or defaults, and the Foundation’s obligations would not carry the federal full faith…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-6900: American Affordability Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-8541: Long-Term Care Workforce Support Act
- 119-hr-3971: Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-8936 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8936)

## Related
- [119-hr-6900: American Affordability Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6900)
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-7481: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7481)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-8541: Long-Term Care Workforce Support Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8541)
- [119-hr-3971: Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3971)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8936 (as of 2026-07-01).