A bill to terminate the ability of eligible telecommunications carriers in certain States to use State eligibility determination processes in place of the National Verifier to determine the eligibility of consumers for Lifeline service.

Senate Bill

S. 3954

119th Congress

A bill to terminate the ability of eligible telecommunications carriers in certain States to use State eligibility determination processes in place of the National Verifier to determine the eligibility of consumers for Lifeline service.

In Committee

Introduced:Feb 26, 2026

Primary Sponsor

Joni Ernst

R - IA

Cosponsors

0

Quick Stats

Summary

This bill would require all states to use a single federal system (the National Verifier) to check if low-income Americans qualify for Lifeline, a program that helps make phone and internet service affordable. Currently, some states are allowed to use their own verification systems instead, but Senator Ernst's bill would end that option and mandate the federal process nationwide.

Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Introduced2/26/2026

StatusRead twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

ChamberSenate

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Vote Prediction

A bill to terminate the ability of eligible telecommunications carriers in certain States to use State eligibility determination processes in place of the National Verifier to determine the eligibility of consumers for Lifeline service.

This bill would require all states to use a single federal system (the National Verifier) to check if low-income Americans qualify for Lifeline, a program that helps make phone and internet service affordable. Currently, some states are allowed to use their ow

Community Breakdown

Pass

0%

Fail

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0 predictions

This bill would require all states to use a single federal system (the National Verifier) to check if low-income Americans qualify for Lifeline, a program that helps make phone and internet service affordable. Currently, some states are allowed to use their own verification systems instead, but Senator Ernst's bill would end that option and mandate the federal process nationwide.

Bill Number: 3954
Introduced: 2/26/2026
Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: A bill to terminate the ability of eligible telecommunications carriers in certain States to use State eligibility determination processes in place of the National Verifier to determine the eligibility of consumers for Lifeline service.
Bill Number: 3954
Sponsor: No sponsor
Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Introduced: 2/26/2026
Summary: This bill would require all states to use a single federal system (the National Verifier) to check if low-income Americans qualify for Lifeline, a program that helps make phone and internet service affordable. Currently, some states are allowed to use their own verification systems instead, but Sena

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill would require all states to use a single federal system (the National Verifier) to check if low-income Americans qualify for Lifeline, a program that helps make phone and internet service affordable. Currently, some states are allowed to use their own verification systems instead, but Senator Ernst's bill would end that option and mandate the federal process nationwide.

Last updated: 2/28/2026

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Would eliminate state-run eligibility verification systems for Lifeline, a federal program that provides discounted phone and internet service to low-income households
Would require all telecommunications carriers to use only the National Verifier, a centralized federal database system, to confirm customer eligibility
Aims to create uniform standards nationwide for determining who qualifies for communications assistance, removing state-level flexibility
Could affect how quickly low-income residents in certain states can enroll in or maintain their Lifeline benefits, depending on their state's current system

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

This bill would primarily affect low-income Americans in states that currently use their own verification systems to determine Lifeline eligibility. The change could streamline the process and potentially reduce fraud through standardization, but might also create enrollment delays or challenges in states where local systems were faster or better tailored to their residents' needs. Telecommunications carriers in affected states would need to transition entirely to the federal verification platform.

Policy Areas

No policy areas assigned yet.

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

3954, 119th Congress (2026). "A bill to terminate the ability of eligible telecommunications carriers in certain States to use State eligibility determination processes in place of the National Verifier to determine the eligibility of consumers for Lifeline service.". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/119-s-3954

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