WASHINGTON, DC - Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Republican Leader Bob Latta (R-OH) released the following statement on passage of bipartisan telecommunications bills during today’s full committee markup.
“We are moving forward with critical legislation today that will help us achieve a broad range of our shared telecommunications priorities at Energy and Commerce. The bipartisan bills advanced to the House will help expand broadband access in rural America, secure our communications networks, and ensure proper management of federal spectrum resources. We are also moving forward with an agreement that, while not perfect, represents progress on STELAR that we can stand behind. This goes to show what we can achieve when we work together in a bipartisan way," said Walden and Latta.
Background:
Today the Energy and Commerce Committee advanced the following bills to the House
H.R. 4229, the “Broadband Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act" or the “Broadband DATA Act," introduced by Energy and Commerce Reps. Bob Latta (R-OH) and Dave Loebsack (D-IA): This legislation requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to issue new rules to require the collection and dissemination of granular broadband availability data and to establish a process to verify the accuracy of such data, and more.
H.R. 4227, the “Mapping Accuracy Promotion Services Act" or the “MAPS Act," introduced by Energy and Commerce Reps. Billy Long (R-MO) and A. Donald McEachin (D-VA): This legislation specifies that it is unlawful for a person to willfully, knowingly, or recklessly submit inaccurate broadband service data.
H.R. 5000, the “Studying How to Harness Airwave Resources Efficiently Act of 2019" or the “SHARE Act," introduced by Energy and Commerce Reps. Bob Latta (R-OH) and Mike Doyle (D-PA): This legislation requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), in consultation with FCC, to establish a spectrum sharing prototyping program and test bed to explore new ways for Federal entities to share spectrum with other Federal entities, and more.
H.R. 4998, the “Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019," introduced by Energy and Commerce Reps. Greg Walden (R-OR), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), and Doris Matsui (D-CA): This legislation instructs FCC to develop and maintain a list of communications equipment and services that pose an unacceptable risk to national security and prohibits the use of funds made available by FCC programs to purchase, rent, lease, or otherwise obtain such equipment and services. The bill also establishes the Secure and Trusted Communications Reimbursement Program to assist communications providers with the costs of removing prohibited equipment and services from their networks and replacing prohibited equipment with more secure communications equipment and services.
H.R. 4461, the “Network Security Information Sharing Act of 2019," introduced by Energy and Commerce Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Mike Doyle (D-PA): This legislation directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, in cooperation with the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, NTIA, and FCC, to establish a program to share supply chain security risks with advanced communications service providers and trusted suppliers of telecommunications equipment and services.
H.R. 2881, the “Secure 5G and Beyond Act of 2019," introduced by Energy and Commerce Reps. Susan Brooks (R-IN) and Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ): This legislation directs the President to develop the “Secure Next Generation Mobile Communications Strategy" in consultation with the heads of FCC, NTIA, and Department of Homeland Security, as well as the DNI and Secretary of Defense.
H.R. 4500, the “Promoting United States Wireless Leadership Act of 2019," introduced by Energy and Commerce Reps. Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI): This legislation directs NTIA to encourage participation by trusted American companies and other stakeholders in standards-setting bodies, and to offer technical assistance to stakeholders that do elect to participate, in the course of developing standards for 5G networks and future generations of communications networks.
H. Res. 575, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that all stakeholders in the deployment of 5G communications infrastructure should carefully consider and adhere to the recommendation of “the Prague Proposals," introduced by Energy and Commerce Reps. Bill Flores (R-TX) and Darren Soto (D-FL): The resolution also encourages the President and Federal agencies to promote trade and security policies on the international stage that are consistent with “The Prague Proposals."
