WASHINGTON, DC - The House of Representatives today passed eleven Energy and Commerce Committee bills, furthering the committee’s proven record of success. The House of Representatives passed four public health bills and two other committee bills earlier this month.
“Energy and Commerce has always been known as a legislative workhorse and we’ve hit the ground running in the 115th Congress,"said full committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR). “House passage of these eleven bipartisan bills coupled with the six house-passed Energy and Commerce Committee bills approved earlier this month demonstrates the committee’s dedication to advancing thoughtful, bipartisan solutions. I’m hopeful the Senate takes swift action on these commonsense bills."
H.R. 290, Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2017, sponsored by Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR), would make the FCC more efficient, transparent, and accountable through reforming the commission’s processes and ensuring the FCC regulates in an innovative and dynamic way. H.R. 290 passed the House unanimously by voice vote.
H.R. 423, Anti-Spoofing Act of 2017, sponsored by Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY), would protect consumers against fraudulent actors and deceptive text messages by updating the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009, which prohibits entities from transmitting misleading or inaccurate caller ID information. H.R. 423 passed the House 398-5.
H.R 460, Improving Rural Call Quality and Reliability Act of 2017, sponsored by Rep. David Young (R-IA), would require intermediate providers to register with the Federal Communications Commission and comply with the service quality standards set by the agency in order to improve call quality from long distance or wireless calls in rural areas throughout the country. H.R. 460 passed the House unanimously by voice vote.
H.R. 511, Power and Security Systems (PASS) Act, sponsored by committee member Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT), would provide an exemption from energy use restrictions for equipment that needs to be on at all times, such as security or fire alarms. H.R. 511 passed the House unanimously by voice vote.
H.R. 518, EPS Improvement Act of 2017, sponsored by committee member Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), would exempt certain lighting and ceiling fan technology from an onerous Department of Energy regulation. H.R. 518 passed the House unanimously by voice vote.
H.R. 555, Amateur Radio Parity Act of 2017, sponsored by committee member Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), would instruct the FCC to adopt rules that protect the rights of amateur radio operators to use radio equipment in deed-restricted communities. H.R. 555 passed the House unanimously by voice vote.
H.R. 582, Kari’s Law Act of 2017, sponsored by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), would require that any multi-line telephone system connects directly to 911 when dialed, even in instances where the phone requires the user to dial “9" to get an outside line. H.R. 582 passed the House 408-0.
H.R. 587, Fair RATES Act, sponsored by committee member Rep. Joseph Kennedy (D-MA), would amend the Federal Power Act to provide opportunities for rehearing of orders affecting rates, even in instances where rates become effective by operation of law. H.R. 587 passed the House unanimously by voice vote.
H.R. 588, Securing Access to Networks in Disaster Act, sponsored by full committee Ranking Member Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), would create requirements for mobile service providers during emergencies to ensure that consumers have access to networks during disasters, and requires the FCC and GAO to examine the resiliency of networks during these events. In addition, it amends the Stafford Act to ensure all categories of communications service providers may access disaster sites to restore service. H.R. 588 passed the House unanimously by voice vote.
H.R. 590, Advanced Nuclear Technology Development Act of 2017, sponsored by committee member Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH), would require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to develop the regulatory framework needed for safe, advanced nuclear energy technologies and requires the Department of Energy and the NRC to collaborate, where appropriate, in order to develop advanced nuclear technology by maintaining technical expertise and shared facility usage. H.R. 590 passed the House unanimously by voice vote.
H.R. 599, Federal Communications Commission Consolidated Reporting Act of 2017, sponsored by committee member and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), would consolidate eight separate reports at the FCC into a single, comprehensive overview of the communications marketplace, reducing reporting burdens and encouraging the agency to analyze competition in the marketplace. H.R 599 passed the House unanimously by voice vote.
