[Page: S2257]
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   (Ordered to lie on the table.)

   Ms. MIKULSKI (for herself, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. KERRY, and Mr. KENNEDY) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by them to the concurrent resolution, S. Con. Res. 101, supra; as follows:

    At the appropriate place, insert the following:

   SEC. __. SENSE OF THE SENATE CONCERNING DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY.

    (a) FINDINGS.--The Senate makes the following findings:

    (1) A digital divide exist in America. Low-income, urban and rural families are less likely to have access to the Internet and computers. African American and Hispanic families are only 2/5 as likely to have Internet access as white families. Access by Native Americans to the Internet and to computers is statistically negligible.

    (2) Regardless of income level, Americans living in rural areas lag behind in Internet access. Individuals with lower incomes who live in rural areas are half as likely to have Internet access as individuals who live in urban areas.

    (3) The digital divide for the poorest Americans has grown by 29 percent since 1997.

    (4) Access to computers and the Internet and the ability to use this technology effectively is becoming increasingly important for full participation in America's economic, political and social life.

    (5) Unequal access to technology and high-tech skills by income, educational level, race and geography could deepen and reinforce the divisions that exist within American society.

    (b) SENSE OF THE SENATE.--It is the sense of the Senate that the functional totals underlying this resolution on the budget assume that--

    (1) to ensure that all children are computer literate by the time they finish the eighth grade, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, income, geography or disability, to broaden access to information technologies, to provide workers, teachers and students with information technology training, and to promote innovative online content and software applications that will improve commerce, education and quality of life, initiatives that increase digital opportunity should be provided for as follows:

    (A) $200,000,000 in tax incentives should be provided to encourage private sector donation of high quality computers, sponsorship of community technology centers, training, technical services and computer repair;

    (B) $450,000,000 should be provided for teacher training;

    (C) $150,000,000 for new teacher training;

    (D) $400,000,000 should be provided for school technology and school libraries;

    (E) $20,000,000 should be provided to place computers and trained personnel in Boys & Girls Clubs;

    (F) $25,000,000 should be provided to create an E-Corps within Americorps;

    (G) $100,000,000 should be provided to create 1,000 Community Technology Centers in low-income urban and rural communities;

    (H) $50,000,000 should be provided for public/private partnerships to expand home access to computers and the Internet for low-income families;

    (I) $45,000,000 should be provided to promote innovative applications of information and communications technology for underserved communities;

    (J) $10,000,000 should be provided to prepare Native Americans for careers in Information Technology and other technical fields; and

    (2) all Americans should have access to broadband telecommunications capability as soon as possible and as such, initiatives that increase broadband deployment should be funded, including $25,000,000 to accelerate private sector deployment of broadband and networks in underserved urban and rural communities.

END