On September 6, Representative Nikema Williams (D-GA) introduced bi-partisan legislation to require a Government Accountability Office report on the capacity of federally-assisted affordable housing to support broadband service.

The bill, the Home Internet Accessibility Act, HR 8778, has five original cosponsors: Representatives William Timmons IV (R-SC), Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), and Al Green (D-TX).

The bill would require the head of the GAO to issue a report that includes an analysis of which federally-assisted affordable housing does not currently have the capacity to support broadband service and would require retrofitting to support broadband service; an analysis of the estimated costs and timeframe necessary for all federally-assisted affordable housing to have the capacity to support broadband service; an analysis of the challenges to more widespread deployment of broadband service; and recommendations for Congress to allow for all federally-assisted affordable housing to have the capacity to support broadband service under a range of specific projected timelines.

LeadingAge has officially endorsed the legislation and strongly supports efforts to expand the availability of internet service in all federally-assisted affordable housing.

Read the bill here.