SHLB and Over 80 Organizations Urge House to Reject Repeal of E-Rate Hotspot Program

Washington, D.C. (May 29, 2025) – In a joint letter sent today, the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition and more than 80 national and state organizations urged the U.S. House of Representatives to vote NO on S.J.Res.7/H.J.Res.33—Congressional Review Act resolutions that would overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) decision to allow E-Rate funding for wireless hotspot lending by schools and libraries, and bar future Commissions from funding hotspots.

The coalition warns that repealing the FCC’s E-Rate hotspot program would jeopardize internet access for millions of students, educators, library patrons, and other community members, particularly in rural and underserved areas. If enacted, the resolutions would force the FCC to reject thousands of pending hotspot funding applications and permanently prohibit the agency from reinstating this critical program.

The letter warns:

“If this resolution becomes law, not only would the FCC have to reject currently pending requests for hotspots from schools and libraries across the nation, the FCC would be barred from ever reinstituting this program. In short, this resolution would prevent millions of students and library patrons across the country from obtaining internet access now and in the future.”

The joint letter underscores that:

• Nearly 20,000 schools and libraries expressed interest in applying for hotspot support in the program’s first year.

• Despite uncertainty caused by these resolutions, over 8,000 applicants recently sought funding for more than 200,000 hotspot connections.

• Hotspots help close the Homework Gap, providing essential connectivity for students who lack adequate internet access at home.

• The program is fiscally responsible, with costs estimated at $200 million annually, all within the existing E-Rate funding cap.

• Hotspots offer safe, filtered internet access compliant with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), ensuring protections for minors.

• Lending programs are already widely implemented, with nearly half of public libraries now offering hotspot checkout services.

Beyond education, hotspots enable access to telehealth, job resources, and emergency services, particularly in rural and low-income communities.

The coalition emphasizes that the FCC’s authority to support off-campus connectivity is clearly grounded in the Communications Act. The letter also highlights that schools and libraries in 46 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico have submitted hotspot applications during the current E-Rate funding window, illustrating the program's broad and bipartisan appeal.

Repealing the program now would exacerbate the digital divide, leaving millions without essential connectivity at a time when the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) have both expired

Read the full letter here.

Read SHLB’s response to the Senate vote here.

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About SHLB: The SHLB Coalition is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) advocacy organization that supports open, affordable, high-quality broadband connections for anchor institutions and their surrounding communities. The SHLB Coalition is based in Washington, D.C., and has a diverse membership of commercial and non-commercial organizations across the United States. To learn more, visit www.shlb.org.