# 119-hr-9144: Closing the Digital Divide for Students Act of 2026

119-hr-9144, Closing the Digital Divide for Students Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Foster, Bill [D-IL-11] (D-IL); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-06-28).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9144
- As of: 2026-06-28
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-9144
- Congress: 119
- Title: Closing the Digital Divide for Students Act of 2026
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-06-04
- Sponsor: Rep. Foster, Bill [D-IL-11] (D-IL)
- Cosponsors: 6
- Policy area: Housing and Community Development
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-06-28

## Summary

**Expands public housing utility allowances to cover high-speed internet service.** This bill would add a new utility allowance that can pay for monthly internet, equipment rental or purchase, and a one-time installation fee, subject to four limits. - Families in public housing: Households that incur internet costs and include children who qualify for free and reduced price lunch could have those internet costs included in their utility allowance. - Children and students: The allowance targets families with school-age kids and requires the provider to supply initial filtering technology that blocks certain explicit visual material at a level set by the Secretary. - Housing authorities: The monthly amount counted must not exceed the lowest-cost internet service available in the area and may not include cable, satellite TV, or telephone costs. Families may still choose higher-cost plans or bundles but the allowance covers only the capped amount. - Internet providers: Providers must provide a specific technology on initial service that meets the statute’s blocking and certification standards as determined by the Secretary.

## Cosponsors (6)

- Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1] (D-OR), 2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Beatty, Joyce [D-OH-3] (D-OH), 2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Dean, Madeleine [D-PA-4] (D-PA), 2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8] (D-MA), 2026-06-04T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12] (D-MI), 2026-06-23T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Internet help for public housing families: mixed, low. If enacted, public housing households with children who qualify for free or reduced price lunch would be able to count certain high-speed internet costs in their utility allowance. The allowance would cover monthly internet up to the lowest cost available in the area. It could also cover renting or…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-7853: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-hr-5361: George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2025
- 119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-9144 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9144)

## Related
- [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877)
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-7853: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7853)
- [119-hr-5361: George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5361)
- [119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-51)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9144 (as of 2026-06-28).