Senator Luján (with Rep. Doris Matsui) introduced the Digital Opportunity Foundation Act of 2026 to establish a nonprofit foundation leveraging public/private investment to expand broadband access, adoption, and digital literacy.
Introduce and support legislation to establish a nonprofit foundation leveraging public-private investment to expand broadband access, adoption, and digital literacy.
Occurrences
Luján’s office said he and colleagues reintroduced the Digital Equity Foundation Act to establish a nonprofit foundation that would channel public and private investments toward digital equity, digital inclusion, and digital literacy, and Luján said he was proud to reintroduce the legislation.
Sponsor: Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM] (Introduced 03/01/2023). Digital Equity Foundation Act of 2023. This bill sets out a process for establishing a foundation to raise funding for, develop programs and partnerships to, and otherwise support efforts to expand access to broadband internet and promote digital literacy, inclusion, and equity.
Evidence
Luján’s office said he and colleagues reintroduced the Digital Equity Foundation Act to establish a nonprofit foundation that would channel public and private investments toward digital equity, digital inclusion, and digital literacy, and Luján said he was proud to reintroduce the legislation.
Congress.gov lists Sen. Ben Ray Luján as sponsor, shows S.599 was introduced on 2023-03-01, and records the bill as referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation with the status Introduced.
Congress.gov identifies S.599 as the Digital Equity Foundation Act of 2023, sponsored by Sen. Ben Ray Luján and introduced on 2023-03-01. The record says the bill was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, with status Introduced. The CRS summary says the bill would establish a foundation to raise funding, develop programs and partnerships, expand broadband access, and promote digital literacy, inclusion, and equity.
The introduced text of S.599 states that Sen. Luján introduced the bill on March 1, 2023. The bill text creates a Committee for the Establishment of the Foundation for Digital Equity, directs it to establish a nonprofit corporation, and describes the foundation's mission as raising or matching funding from philanthropic organizations, the private sector, and state and local governments to promote digital literacy, inclusion, and equity and increase broadband adoption.
Sen. Luján's office announced that Luján and Rep. Doris Matsui led colleagues in reintroducing the Digital Equity Foundation Act, described as legislation to establish a nonprofit foundation that would channel public and private investments into digital equity, digital inclusion, and digital literacy. The release quotes Luján saying he was proud to reintroduce the legislation and that the foundation would drive investments to close digital equity, inclusion, and literacy gaps.
Assessments
The promise was to introduce and support legislation, not necessarily enact it. Official Congress.gov records and Lujan's Senate office materials show he sponsored and introduced S.599, the Digital Equity Foundation Act of 2023, during his Senate term. The bill's substance directly matches the promise by establishing a nonprofit foundation intended to leverage public-private investment for broadband access, adoption, digital equity, inclusion, and literacy. Although the bill did not advance beyond committee referral, the promised legislative introduction and support were completed.
Official congressional and office records show Sen. Ben Ray Lujan sponsored and reintroduced S.599 on 2023-03-01, directly matching the promise to introduce and support legislation to create a nonprofit foundation for broadband/digital equity, adoption, and literacy. The bill’s lack of enactment does not defeat this claim because the promise was to introduce and support the legislation, not necessarily to pass it.