AP Photo President Joe Biden speaks at an event on lowering the cost of high-speed internet in the Rose Garden of the White House, Monday, May 9, 2022, in Washington. Vice President Kamala Harris, right, and Alicia Jones, a beneficiary of the Affordable Connectivity program, listen.

This month’s end of the federal Affordable Connectivity Program has some state Democrats eyeing a state-funded replacement.

Reps. Lindsay Powell, Aerion Abney and G. Roni Green are drafting legislation that would create a state program providing households $30 a month toward broadband internet service. Households would have to prove financial need and have at least one child between the ages of 5 and 18.

The legislation has yet to be formally introduced in the state House of Representatives.

“Pennsylvanians need and deserve reliable Internet access in their homes,” Powell, Abney and Green wrote in their co-sponsorship memorandum. “Yet, an important federal program providing assistance,the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), is expected to end in April or May of this year without congressional action to renew it. Thousands of households will be put at risk of losing their vital connection to the modern world.”

The Federal Communications Commission notified users that April was the last month of funding for the program, though the Biden Administration has tried to get Congress to appropriate more funding. In addition to the $30 a month subsidy on internet bills, the program provides a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price. It was originally funded with $14.2 billion through the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law passed by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden.

A $7 billion extension has been introduced in Congress, with the Biden Administration calling Tuesday for congressional support. It’s a call that has been made since October, and an extension of the program is also included in Biden’s 2025 budget request.

The state lawmakers say 739,333 Pennsylvania households received aid from the federal Affordable Connectivity Program. An FCC website showed 1,925 Warren County residents participated in the Affordable Connectivity Program, with a total of $985,083 spent on the program in Warren County.

“Clearly, the need for such a program is evident and this need will only increase in the future,” Green, Abney and Powell wrote. “With Internet access an absolute necessity for daily life, we cannot allow Pennsylvania families to be without this crucial service.We hope that you will join us in assuring all families in the Commonwealth have the basics they need to keep their families connected and thriving.”