The California attorney general’s office said Oct. 13, 2026, that Attorney General joined a multistate coalition in opposing Federal Communications Commission proposals to significantly narrow, restrict or terminate the federal E‑Rate program.
The office filed a comment letter arguing the FCC’s proposals are contrary to law, exceed statutory authority and are arbitrary and capricious in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act; the office said the E‑Rate program has provided most public schools and libraries with discounts on internet and related services for 30 years.
Under the current program, the office said, schools and libraries receive discounts that cover 20% to 90% of eligible telecommunications and information services based on the share of students eligible for free or reduced‑cost lunch; the office said more than 90% of public schools nationwide rely on E‑Rate support.
The office listed specific FCC proposals it opposes; they include complete termination of E‑Rate, eliminating certain eligible services, excluding Head Start and pre‑kindergarten classrooms, reducing support in urban districts, abandoning the National School Lunch Program metric and conditioning funds on compliance with federal education policies that would limit screen time, require opt‑outs or allow device monitoring.
The office argued those changes would impose severe administrative, educational and operational costs on school districts and would force underfunded districts to choose between allowing students to fall behind academically and cutting other critical services.
Attorney General Bonta is quoted in the release: "The funding provided to schools through the federal E‑Rate program is vital to ensuring our students get the quality education they deserve. Nearly all of the nation’s public schools rely on the E‑Rate program for internet access. In this digital era where technology is growing increasingly important in the world of learning, we must prioritize policies that protect equal access to technology for all students, not stifle it. I urge the FCC to abandon its proposals regarding dismantling or restructuring this crucial E‑Rate program."
The coalition filing the comment letter includes the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
State
Rob Bonta
Attorney General · Democrat
Named 4 times in this story.
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