The American Privacy Rights Act is “an important bipartisan compromise” Congress can use as a foundation for passing a federal privacy law (see 2404160034), Senate Data Security Subcommittee Chairman John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., said Wednesday during a subcommittee hearing on protecting consumer data. Introduced by Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and House Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., APRA provides a strong federal standard with data minimization rules, Hickenlooper said, so companies aren’t collecting “everything they can.” He noted states aren’t waiting for Congress on privacy. Indeed,16 states, including Colorado, have passed or are in the process of approving privacy laws. Without a federal privacy law, the U.S. risks further ceding its authority to states and foreign governments, which is creating regulatory “headaches” for businesses, ranking member Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said.

The House Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee rescheduled a postponed Wednesday hearing on the FCC's FY 2025 federal funding request (see 2405030068) for May 16, the panel said Monday. The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. in 2359 Rayburn. The House Commerce Committee confirmed Monday a postponed Tuesday hearing on the FCC’s FY25 budget request would happen at “a later date.”

The House Appropriations and Commerce committees postponed a pair of hearings scheduled for this week on the FCC's FY 2025 funding request (see 2404300068), the panels' spokespersons separately confirmed Friday. FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and the other four commissioners were set to testify at a Tuesday Communications hearing on the budget proposal. Rosenworcel was to appear at a Wednesday Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee panel. Neither of the committees announced makeup dates for the hearings Friday. Rosenworcel's brother, Brian Rosenworcel of the band Guster, announced the death of their father, Elliott, Thursday night. House Appropriations, Commerce and the FCC didn't comment on whether the hearings' delay was in response to the news.

Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., on Wednesday filed an amendment that would attach kids’ privacy legislation to the FAA reauthorization bill. He filed the amendment with lead Republican sponsor Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La. The Senate should pass the lawmakers' Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) with FAA reauthorization, said Markey: “Big Tech has contributed to the youth mental crisis, and it’s time Congress did something about it.”

Bipartisan legislation introduced Tuesday would eliminate algorithmic-targeted content for children younger than 17 and block users 13 and under from using platforms. Introduced by Senate Commerce Committee ranking member Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, the Kids Off Social Media Act would grant the FTC and state attorney general authority to enforce against violations. It would require schools to block and filter social media on federally funded networks. Sens. Peter Welch, D-Vt.; Ted Budd, R-N.C.; John Fetterman, D-Pa.; Angus King, I-Maine; and Mark Warner, D-Va.; are co-sponsors. “The growing evidence is clear: social media is making kids more depressed, more anxious, and more suicidal,” said Schatz. “This is an urgent health crisis, and Congress must act.” Cruz said he’s hopeful this bill, the Kids Online Safety Act and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA 2.0) will “greatly reduce the physical and emotional dangers threatening many of America’s youth.”

House Commerce Committee GOP leaders said Wednesday they’ve opened an investigation into recent claims of pro-Democratic Party bias at NPR. Several congressional Republicans filed or are eyeing legislation aimed at ending NPR’s federal funding in response to the bias reports, including the Defund NPR Act (HR-8083) (see 2404190060). Past attempts at halting NPR's portion of CPB federal funding have failed, including a bid during the FY 2024 cycle by Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas (see 2311030069). The House Commerce Oversight Subcommittee summoned NPR CEO Katherine Maher to testify at a May 8 hearing. Panel leaders want her to respond by May 14 to a range of questions about the political viewpoint balance within the broadcasting network. House Commerce “has concerns about the direction in which NPR may be headed under past and present leadership,” said panel Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.), Communications Subcommittee Chairman Bob Latta (Ohio) and Oversight Chairman Morgan Griffith (Va.). in a Tuesday letter to Maher. “As a taxpayer funded, public radio organization, NPR should focus on fair and objective news reporting that both considers and reflects the views of the larger U.S. population and not just a niche audience.” Committee Republicans also “find it disconcerting that NPR’s coverage of major news in recent years has been so polarized as to preclude any need to uncover the truth,” the lawmakers said: “These have included news stories on matters of national security and importance,” including “the COVID-19 origins investigation” and scrutiny into the contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop. “On each of these issues, NPR has been accused of approaching its news reporting with an extreme left-leaning lens,” the Republicans said. NPR didn’t comment.

The House on Monday passed legislation requiring that social media platforms report activity related to trafficking and criminal enticement of children. Sens. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Reps. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., and Susie Lee, D-Nev., introduced the Report Act. It requires that platforms flag activity for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Currently, companies must report child sexual abuse material only. The bill passed the Senate in December and now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk. The House approved the measure by voice vote. “Children are increasingly looking at screens, and the reality is that the internet and social media leave more innocent kids at risk of online exploitation,” Blackburn said in a statement. “Under this new law, big tech companies will now be required to report when children are being trafficked, groomed or enticed by predators.” The bill will ensure “tech companies are held accountable to report and remove child sex abuse material and to strengthen protection for kids online,” said Ossoff. NetChoice State & Federal Affairs Director Amy Bos called it an “important” piece of legislation “designed to help law enforcement more effectively stop online predators and provide additional support and resources for victims of these horrific crimes.”

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel will appear before lawmakers twice next week, with the House Appropriations Committee announcing Tuesday that the Financial Services Subcommittee will hold a hearing May 8 on the commission’s FY 2025 funding request. President Joe Biden in March proposed $448 million for the FCC in FY25 and $65 million for NTIA (see 2403110056). The Appropriations Financial Services hearing will begin at 10 a.m. in 2362-A Rayburn. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will testify at the same time during a Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee hearing on the Commerce Department’s FY25 request. Rosenworcel and the four other FCC commissioners are set to testify May 7 at a House Communications Subcommittee hearing on the commission’s FY25 funding request (see 2404190067). That panel will begin at 10 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn.

The Senate Communications Subcommittee has plans for following up the Commerce Committee’s Wednesday markup of the draft Spectrum and National Security Act (see 2404250061) with a Thursday hearing eyeing the future of federal affordable broadband programs. Meanwhile, Senate Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., released a revised version of her draft spectrum bill Friday night as a substitute amendment that increases funding it would loan the FCC to keep the affordable broadband program running through the end of FY 2024. The new bill offers $7 billion, up $2 billion from the original proposal. That puts Cantwell’s legislation in line with the ACP Extension Act (HR-6929/S-3565), which also proposes $7 billion in stopgap funding. Cantwell’s revised spectrum bill also includes language from the Improving Minority Participation and Careers in Telecommunications Act to create an NTIA program to distribute money to historically Black, tribal and minority-serving colleges and universities to develop telecom sector job training (see 2108020061). Cantwell's bill proposes loaning NTIA $200 million for the program. Senate Communications’ Thursday hearing will include testimony from New Street’s Blair Levin and Kathryn de Wit, director-Pew Charitable Trusts broadband access initiative. Also set to testify: Economic Policy Innovation Center CEO Paul Winfree and New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion’s Jennifer Case Nevarez. The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. in 253 Russell.

Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and four other Senate Democrat caucus members wrote CTIA President Meredith Baker and NCTA CEO Michael Powell Friday urging their member companies to voluntarily cover a $16-per-household affordable connectivity program subsidy shortfall for participants in May. The FCC indicated earlier this month that the remaining ACP funds will be enough to pay only $14 of the usual $30 subsidy per participating household in May (see 2404100082). Committing to closing the $16-per-household shortfall “would help maintain subscribers in May, who might otherwise leave the program when faced with even the smallest price increase, while Congress continues to work on a legislative solution to this problem,” the Democrats said in a letter to Baker and Powell. “With both the Senate and House of Representatives in sessions for four weeks in May, this extra time would give lawmakers a critical window to work on and pass a legislative solution. Additionally, if Congress is able to extend the ACP, it would be devastating for ACP households that drop internet service during the period of lapsed funding, forcing them to re-enroll in the ACP, a process that can require significant time and expense.” Pro-ACP lawmakers are eyeing several potential vehicles for providing ACP with stopgap funding for FY 2024, including a proposed $5 billion loan via the draft Spectrum and National Security Act. The Senate Commerce Committee is set to mark up the measure Wednesday (see 2404250061).