WASHINGTON, DC - The Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, chaired by Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), announced today a hearing for Thursday, March 22, 2018, at 10:15 a.m. in room 2322 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing is entitled, “Legislative Hearing on Four Communications Bills."
Continuing a strong tradition of bipartisan work, the hearing is an opportunity for #SubCommTech to review four important bills introduced by members from both sides of the aisle.
The legislation to be discussed at the hearing includes:
H.R. 2345, National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act, authored by Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT), will direct the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in consultation with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to study and report on the feasibility of designating an N11 dialing code to be used for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system.
H.R. 2903, Rural Reasonable and Comparable Wireless Access Act, authored by Reps. David McKinley (R-WV) and Peter Welch (D-VT), will direct the FCC to promulgate rules to establish a national standard for determining whether rural areas have reasonably comparable wireless and broadband services to services provided in urban areas.
H.R. 3787, Small Entity Regulatory Relief Opportunity (SERRO) Act, authored by #SubDCCP Chairman Bob Latta (R-OH) and Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR), will direct the FCC to complete a rulemaking to establish streamlined procedures for filing, considering, or resolving petitions with regard to small entities.
Discussion Draft, Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement (PIRATE) Act, authored by #SubCommTech Vice Chairman Leonard Lance (R-NJ) and Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), will increase fines for illegal pirate operations from $10,000 per violation to $100,000 per day per violation, up to a maximum of $2,000,000, and streamline the FCC’s enforcement process to empower state and local law enforcement in combating illegal pirate operations.
“Next week’s hearing continues our work on behalf of the American people to improve the nation’s telecommunications systems. These bills have the potential to save lives, expand rural broadband services, streamline regulations, and combat illegal pirate radio. I’m proud of the bipartisan efforts exhibited by these four critical bills, and I look forward to discussing the legislation in-depth," said Chairman Blackburn.as they are posted.
