00                        HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 6                                                                     
01 Urging the United States Congress to safeguard the Universal Service Fund to ensure                                     
02 continued funding for essential programs that support critical broadband and                                            
03 telecommunication infrastructure and services for low-income rural residents of the                                     
04 state.                                                                                                                  
05 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
06       WHEREAS the Universal Service Fund provides vital support to programs that fund                                 
07 Internet and telephone services to support health care, education, consumer services, and                               
08 Lifeline telephone services in rural areas of the state; and                                                            
09       WHEREAS the programs the Universal Service Fund supports are essential for                                      
10 providing equitable access to educational, health care, and economic opportunities for                                  
11 residents of the state; and                                                                                             
12       WHEREAS geographic and economic challenges in rural areas of the state make                                     
13 funding from the Universal Service Fund vital for connectivity and fixed and mobile                                     
14 infrastructure development; and                                                                                         
15       WHEREAS an interruption to Universal Service Fund funding would have                                            
01 devastating consequences for schools, libraries, health care providers, and the communities                             
02 served by those entities; and                                                                                           
03       WHEREAS the Universal Service Fund provides essential support for connectivity                                  
04 for residents of the state by providing more than $500,000,000 annually in Universal Service                            
05 Fund funding; and                                                                                                       
06       WHEREAS, if the Universal Service Fund terminates through inaction,                                             
07 approximately 220 rural hospitals and health clinics would lose approximately $221,000,000                              
08 in annual support; and                                                                                                  
09       WHEREAS, if the Universal Service Fund ceases to exist, approximately 500 rural                                 
10 schools would lose affordable broadband connection; and                                                                 
11 WHEREAS, without Universal Service Fund funding, approximately 137,600 rural                                          
12 students would lose access to communication services supported by schools and libraries; and                            
13 WHEREAS, if the Universal Service Fund ceases to exist, approximately 80 libraries                                    
14 would lose affordable broadband connection; and                                                                         
15 WHEREAS, if Universal Service Fund funding terminates, the state would lose                                           
16 approximately $167,000,000 to connect rural households to basic telephone services, mobile                              
17 telephone services, and broadband; and                                                                                  
18 WHEREAS lack of Universal Service Fund funding would result in approximately                                          
19 19,000 residents of the state losing access to critical Lifeline-supported communications                               
20 services; and                                                                                                           
21 WHEREAS losing Universal Service Fund funding would widen the connectivity gap                                        
22 between state residents and the rest of the United States, further disadvantaging state residents                       
23 based on where they live;                                                                                               
24 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully urges the Alaska                                        
25 Congressional delegation and other members of the 119th United States Congress to                                       
26 safeguard funding and the authority of the Universal Service Fund, including through                                    
27 legislative measures if necessary to address legal concerns raised by judicial rulings; and be it                       
28 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages bipartisan                                              
29 cooperation to ensure the sustainability of Universal Service Fund programs and the benefits                            
30 those programs offer to residents of underserved, rural areas of the state.                                             
31 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President                                   
01 of the United States; the Honorable J. D. Vance, Vice President of the United States and                                
02 President of the U.S. Senate; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan                                    
03 Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Nick Begich, U.S. Representative, members of the                             
04 Alaska delegation in Congress.