MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION AND THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) relates to coordination between the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) (individually, Participant” and collectively, Participants’) to promote the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). I. Purpose Recognizing the importance of outreach to eligible households, Congress expressly authorized the FCC to conduct outreach to encourage eligible households to enroll in the ACP, including facilitating consumer research, conducting focus groups, engaging in paid media campaigns, and providing grants to governmental and non-governmental outreach partners.’ In addition, Congress directed the Commission to coordinate with other federal agencies to ensure that households participating in eligible programs are provided information about the ACP, including how to enroll in the ACP.2 Since the inception of the ACP, FCC staff has engaged in extensive ACP outreach, including by coordinating with other federal agencies. including HUD. on ACP outreach to eligible households participating in qualifying governmental assistance programs.3 Commission staff and the Universal Service Administrative Company. tinder Commission oversight, have also developed ACP outreach toolkits for outreach partners to use.4 HUD oversees important governmental housing assistance programs, including the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8 vouchers). Project-Based Rental Assistance (Section 8 PBRA. Section 202, Section 811), Public Housing, and Affordable Housing for American Indians, Alaska Natives, or Native Hawaiians. In March 2023, the FCC’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) announced awardees for the ACP Outreach Grant Program to enlist partners to serve as trusted community messengers and to provide those partners with funding and resources needed to implement innovative outreach strategies to reach historically underserved and unserved communities.5 CGB and the Commission’s Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) also announced awards for several trusted partners, including housing authority agencies throughout the United States to participate in two one-year pilot programs to test the methods for raising awareness of the ACP among federal housing assistance 47 U.S.C. § 1752(b)(lO)(C)(ii)(1)-(IV). 247 U.S.C. § 1752(b)(10)(B). See, e.g.. FCC Press Release, FCC Hosts Virtual Event Enrollment Tour to Promote Affordable Connectivity Program (Mar. 3, 2022), https: vv.fcc.eov’docunientfc- irtual-event-tour-affoi’dable-connecti itv—proaram enrollment. See FCC Website, ACP Consumer Outreach Toolkit, https:./vw.fcc.eov/acp-consumer-outreach-toolkit; USAC Website. Community Resources, https:•7www.affordableconnectivit’ .ov/communit -resources!; USAC Website, Dear Tribal Leaders Letter for ACP, https’.i.vww.usac.ore p-contentuploads/about/documents!tribal-nations.Deai’ Tribal-Leader-Letters;Celeb,’atine National_Native American 1-leritace Month II -25-2020.pdf See Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Announces ACP Outreach Grant Program Target Funding, Public Notice, WC Docket No. 2 1-450, DA 23-194 (CGB Mar. 10, 2023). recipients and to assist consumers with the application.6 In April 2023, WCB announced the final list of entities selected for the pilot programs.7 II. Understandings Consistent with applicable laws and regulations, the Participants intend to increase awareness of and encourage participation in the ACP among HUD-assisted households through: • Coordination on ACP outreach and education initiatives where one Participant’s action will have a significant effect on the other Participant’s ACP-related outreach efforts, • Regular coordination meetings to review each Participant’s work on ACP outreach intended to target HUD-assisted households, • Regular communication between Participants to exchange their respective learning about the ACP and ACP outreach to help inform methods for increasing awareness of and increasing participation in the ACP among HUD-assisted households, and • Collaboration on ACP outreach and education efforts, as appropriate. Such collaboration can include development of messaging and targeting intended audiences, amongst other things. This MOU is an understanding between the Participants. It does not intend to and does not create any right, benefit, or trust responsibility, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or equity, by a third party against the United States, its agencies, its officers, or any person. This MOU does not obligate funds for any particular expenditure nor does it authorize the transfer of funds and/or resources. If the Participants contemplate that either Participant will provide goods and/or services to the other Participant, it is understood and acknowledged that an interagency agreement (IAA) shall be used to document the reimbursement obligations associated with such goods or services as required by 31 U.S.C. § 1501. Any such IAA used to document reimbursement obligations shall be executed by the Participants before the period of performance commences and shall include the signature of officials with authority to obligate funds and shall be contingent upon the availability of appropriated funds in compliance with the Anti-Deficiency Act. 31 U.S.C. § 1341. III. Points of Contact For purposes of this MOU, points of contact for each Participant are as follows: For FCC: Alejandro Roark Chief FCC Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau For HUD: Eugenia Metrakas Chief Operations Officer HUD Office of the Deputy Secretary IV. Effective Date and Modification/Termination 6 See Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau and Wireline Competition Bureau Announce ACP Pilot Program Grants Target Funding, Public Notice, WC Docket No. 21-450, DA 23-219 (CGB Mar. 15, 2023). See Wireline Competition Bureau Announces Final List of Entities Selected for the Affordable Connectivity Pilot Programs, WC Docket No. 2 1-450, DA 23-288 (WCB Apr. 6, 2023). The MOU takes effect upon signing by both Participants and lasts for a period of three years or until the end of the Affordable Connectivity Program, or any successor program, whichever comes first. The MOU may be extended or modified by mutual written consent of both Participants. The MOU may be terminated by either Participant upon thirty calendar days’ advance written notice to the other Participant. FOR THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS FOR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING COMMISSION: AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Jessica Rosenworcel Marcia Fudge Chairwoman Secretary Federal Communications Commission U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Date: 08-24-2023 Date: 8-23-2023