A Proposal to Create the Foundation for Digital Equity

On September 15, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) joined Representative Doris Matsui (D-CA) in introducing the Digital Equity Foundation Act of 2022. The bill would establish a nonprofit foundation to leverage public and private investments to make progress closing the divides on digital equity, digital inclusion, and digital literacy. As the bill's sponsors note, Congressionally-established nonprofit foundations have had great success in supporting the missions of various government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the United States Food and Drug Administration, and the National Park Service, and provide a mechanism to leverage public-private partnerships and support innovation. Here we look at the major provisions of the bill.