House Passes FY 2020 FCC-FTC Funding Bill With Telecom, Privacy Amendments
The House passed the FY 2020 budget bill containing funding for the FCC and FTC (HR-3351) Wednesday on a 224-196 vote after clearing several telecom and privacy-related amendments (see 1906240061) on voice votes. The measure would give the FTC $349.7…
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million and the FCC $339 million (see 1906030040). Approved amendments included language from Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., to prohibit the FCC from instituting an overall USF budget cap (see 1905310069). An amendment from Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., would bar the FCC from using FY 2020 funds to implement “any report, order, or ruling that prevents, prohibits, or preempts a State or locality from mandating the sharing of a building owner’s wiring for communications services in multiple tenant environments.” One from House Republican Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney, R-Wyoming, aims to reallocate $1 million of the FCC funding to prioritize the agency's work to combat robocalls aimed at scamming senior citizens. Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., proposes reallocating $1 in FCC funding to “highlight the importance of completing its investigation” into wireless carriers' location tracking practices, including the sale of customer location tracking data allegedly accessed by bounty hunters (see 1805240073). Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., wants to reallocate $3 million of the FTC funding to encourage the agency to take enforcement action against companies that “fail to protect children's privacy.” Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn., ultimately didn't offer her amendment that would have barred the FCC from using new funding to collect further broadband coverage data via Form 477.