Supreme Court Upholds Universal Service Program!
Hello E-Rate Community,
Today is a great day for the Universal Service Program, which makes E-Rate funding possible!
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the Universal Service Program. Specifically, their decision holds that neither Congress’s delegation of power to the FCC nor the FCC’s delegation of power to the private corporation (USAC) violated a theory known as the nondelegation doctrine. Hurray!
Justice Kagan wrote for the majority: “Under our nondelegation precedents, Congress sufficiently guided and constrained the discretion that it lodged with the FCC to implement the universal-service contribution scheme. And the FCC, in turn, has retained all decision-making authority within that sphere, relying on the” corporation “only for nonbinding advice. Nothing in those arrangements, either separately or together, violates the Constitution.”
The full decision is available at: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24-354_0861.pdf.
Bottom line: There will be no disruption to E-Rate or the other USF-supported programs.
Webinar to Explain Supreme Court Decision
On Monday, July 7, the SHLB Coalition & the American Library Association are holding a free webinar to unpack the Supreme Court’s landmark decision. In this webinar, leading legal experts Andy Schwartzman and Jason Neal will break down the implications of the ruling, what it means for the future of broadband connectivity for schools, libraries, health centers, and the communities they serve. I’ll be joining, and I hope you will, too.
Monday, July 7, 2025 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM (EDT)
Registration: https://www.shlb.org/events/webinar-understanding-the-scotus-usf-decision
Have a very happy 4th of July holiday!
Sincerely,
Lorrie
Lorrie Germann
State E-Rate Coordinator
On behalf of the Ohio Department of Education
lorrie.germann@education.ohio.gov
www.ohio-k12.help/erate
Office: 740-223-2420
Cell: 740-253-1153