The House passed the Spectrum Innovation Act (HR-7624) and three other telecom and tech bills Wednesday night, drawing praise from lawmakers and some stakeholders. The chamber voted 336-90 for an en bloc package that included HR-7624 and two of the other bills, the Reporting Attacks from Nations Selected for Oversight and Monitoring Web Attacks and Ransomware from Enemies Act (HR-4551) and Safe Connections Act (HR-7132). Lawmakers voted 416-12 for the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID–19 Act (HR-4040). HR-7132 and HR-7624 "provide our nation’s mobile networks with the spectrum resources necessary to provide next-generation wireless technologies, promote wireless innovation, fund important public safety priorities like Next Generation 9-1-1, and ensure that phone contracts cannot be used to perpetuate abuse when survivors and abusers share a phone contract," said House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa. "The bipartisan bills passed today will enhance spectrum management, strengthen public safety communications tools" and "secure our networks from countries like China," said House Commerce ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and Communications ranking member Bob Latta, R-Ohio. Matt Mandel, Wireless Infrastructure Association senior vice president-government and public affairs, praised lawmakers for "prioritizing America’s leadership in wireless network innovation by voting to make more spectrum available for commercial and shared use" via HR-7624. The measure would renew the FCC's auction authority through March 31, 2024, and authorize sales of 3.1-3.45 GHz spectrum licenses. "Making additional Federal spectrum resources available for commercial use will provide significant benefits for the industry, the economy, and most importantly, consumers," said Competitive Carriers Association President Steve Berry: HR-7132 "will help survivors of domestic violence remain connected."
The House passed the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences Codification Act (HR-4990) by voice vote Wednesday. The measure would provide statutory authority for ITS’ role in managing NTIA’s telecom and spectrum technology programs. HR-4990 would give ITS clear authority to set “the use of innovative sharing technologies for our airwaves and improving the interference tolerance of federal systems operating with or using federal spectrum,” House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said on the floor. The House was expected to vote as soon as Wednesday night on four other telecom and tech bills: Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID–19 Act (HR-4040), Reporting Attacks from Nations Selected for Oversight and Monitoring Web Attacks and Ransomware from Enemies Act (HR-4551), Safe Connections Act (HR-7132) and Spectrum Innovation Act legislative package (HR-7624). Debate on the measures happened Tuesday (see 2207260063).
House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and other House Commerce Committee members urged the chamber Tuesday to pass the Spectrum Innovation Act legislative package (HR-7624) by a lopsided bipartisan margin ahead of floor votes as soon as that evening on several telecom and tech measures. The House planned floor votes on HR-7624 and two other telecom and tech bills on the docket: the Reporting Attacks from Nations Selected for Oversight and Monitoring Web Attacks and Ransomware from Enemies Act (HR-4551) and Safe Connections Act (HR-7132). The chamber was also expected to consider the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences Codification Act (HR-4990). The Rules Committee, meanwhile, began considering Tuesday afternoon a set of proposed amendments to the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act (HR-4040) amid Republicans’ concerns that the measure didn’t first get House Commerce clearance.
The House is expected to vote as soon as Tuesday under suspension of the rules on the Spectrum Innovation Act legislative package (HR-7624), as expected (see 2207180067), the office of Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Friday. The chamber will also consider two other telecom bills the Commerce Committee cleared earlier this month: the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences Codification Act (HR-4990) and Safe Connections Act (HR-7132). HR-4990 would provide statutory authority for ITS’ role in managing NTIA’s telecom and spectrum technology programs. HR-7132 and Senate-passed companion S-120 would let domestic abuse survivors separate a mobile phone line from a shared plan involving their abusers without penalties or other requirements and require the FCC to establish rules that ensure calls and texts to domestic abuse hotlines don’t appear on call logs (see 2203180070). The HR-7624 version House Commerce advanced would extend the FCC’s spectrum auction authority through March 31, 2024, and authorize a 3.1-3.45 GHz auction with some sales proceeds allocated to pay for next-generation 911 tech upgrades and additional funding for the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program (see 2207130066). Hoyer’s office also confirmed plans (see 2207210063) to vote as soon as Wednesday on the Advancing Telehealth Beyond COVID-19 Act (HR-4040).
The House Commerce Committee unanimously advanced the Spectrum Innovation Act legislative package (HR-7624) and three other telecom bills Wednesday, as expected (see 2207120079). The House was expected to begin votes Wednesday night on amendments to the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (HR-7900). The House Rules Committee agreed 9-4 Tuesday to allow floor votes on more than three dozen telecom and tech amendments to HR-7900 (see 2207070064).
House Communications Subcommittee leaders intend to combine language from the Extending America’s Spectrum Auction Leadership Act (HR-7783) and Simplifying Management, Reallocation and Transfer of Spectrum Act (HR-5486) with the Spectrum Innovation Act (HR-7624) at a Wednesday Commerce Committee markup, as expected (see 2205190068). House Commerce is planning to mark up the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (HR-8152) next week, a Democratic committee spokesperson confirmed Tuesday. The House Consumer Protection Subcommittee unanimously advanced the bill in June (see 2206230064).
A draft FCC notice of inquiry aimed at improving access to communications services for survivors of domestic or sexual violence should include privacy concerns and encourage partnerships with entities at the local level, advocacy organizations told us (see 2206230069). Commissioners will consider the item Thursday, which would seek comment on obstacles survivors face to obtaining broadband services and ways to amend Lifeline or the affordable connectivity program to encourage enrollment among survivors.
A draft FCC notice of inquiry would seek comment on expanding access to the affordable connectivity program and Lifeline for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, if adopted during the commissioners’ July 14 meeting. It would seek comment on the agency’s authority to adjust both programs to better assist survivors and whether the FCC should adopt certain requirements set in the proposed Safe Connections Act.
House Communications Subcommittee leaders said Wednesday they’re eyeing combining the Extending America’s Spectrum Auction Leadership Act (HR-7783) and revised versions of the Simplifying Management, Reallocation and Transfer of Spectrum Act (HR-5486) and Spectrum Innovation Act (HR-7624) before a full Commerce Committee vote. The subpanel unanimously advanced HR-5486, HR-7624, HR-7783 and four other telecom bills Wednesday, as expected (see 2206140077).
The House Communications Subcommittee will mark up the Extending America’s Spectrum Auction Leadership Act (HR-7783), a significantly modified version of the Simplifying Management, Reallocation and Transfer of Spectrum Act (HR-5486) and five other telecom bills Wednesday, as expected (see 2206100001), the Commerce Committee said Monday. The markup includes a revised version of the Spectrum Innovation Act (HR-7624) that proposes to use proceeds from the 3.1-3.45 GHz auction it authorizes to pay for next-generation 911 tech upgrades and additional money for the FCC’s Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program to repay U.S. carriers for removing from their networks equipment made by companies deemed a national security risk.