Legislative Activity Rep. Greg Walden to Chair House Energy & Commerce Committee in the 115th Congress Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) has been selected by the House Republican Steering Committee (the body that assigns party members to House committees) to chair the House Energy & Commerce Committee (House Commerce Committee) in the 115th Congress, which will … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Approves FY 2017 Appropriations Bill Decreasing FCC’s Budget On July 7, the U.S. House of Representatives (House) passed H.R.5485, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill, 2017 containing appropriations for fiscal year (FY) 2017. The $21.7 billion funding measure contains appropriations for various federal agencies for the fiscal year ending September … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Lawmakers Discuss Movement on Telecom Bills Before Recess and Election During a Federal Communications Bar Association lunch held June 8, House Energy & Commerce Committee (House Commerce Committee) counsel discussed pending communications legislation and the likelihood of seeing movement in the coming months. Majority counsel David Redl expressed interest in advancing H.R.4889, … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity 60 Members of Congress Address FCC’s Set-Top Box Proposal On May 5, 60 members of Congress from both sides of the aisle wrote a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler expressing concern about the FCC’s recent proposal to change the FCC’s set-top box rules (previously discussed here). The letter stated … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Bi-Partisan Encryption Working Group Releases Roadmap On April 21, the U.S. House of Representatives (House) Bi-Partisan Encryption Working Group (Working Group) announced its roadmap following a meeting to discuss the group’s goals. The Working Group, first announced in March 2016, is charged with examining the legal and policy issues surrounding the use … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Passes Bill Preventing Broadband Rate Regulation On April 15, the House of Representatives (House) passed H.R.2666, the No Rate Regulation of Broadband Internet Access Act by a vote of 241-173. The bill’s main provision states that “the Federal Communications Commission may not regulate the rates charged for broadband Internet access service.” The … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Subcommittee to Examine Seven Communications Bills The Subcommittee on Communications and Technology (Communications Subcommittee) of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce (House Commerce Committee) will hold a legislative hearing on April 13 during which it will review seven communications-related bills. The following legislation will be considered during the hearing: H.R.2031, the … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Sen. Thune Introduces FCC Reauthorization Act On March 7, Sen. John Thune (R-SD), Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee (Senate Commerce Committee) introduced S.2644, the FCC Reauthorization Act of 2016. The bill would reauthorize the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has not been reauthorized since 1990, and would authorize appropriations … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Democratic Senators Express Concern over Charter-Time Warner Merger On February 25, five senators, including Sens. Edward Markey (D-MA), Al Franken (D-MN), Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), wrote a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler expressing “significant concern” regarding the high-profile … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity MOBILE NOW Act Introduced in Senate On February 11, Senator John Thune (R-SD), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Senate Commerce Committee) and Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL) introduced the S.2555, the Making Opportunities for Broadband Investment and Limiting Excessive and Needless Obstacles to Wireless Act (MOBILE NOW Act). … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Subcommittee Advances Spectrum Bill and Broadband Deployment Package On December 2, the Communications and Technology Subcommittee (Communications Subcommittee) of the House Energy & Commerce Committee (House Commerce Committee) advanced two pieces of legislation to the full committee. The first, H.R.1641, the Federal Spectrum Incentive Act of 2015, was approved by voice vote. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Sen. Thune Introduces Bill Regarding Spectrum Auction Deposits On November 19, Sen. John Thune (R-SD), Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee (Senate Commerce Committee), introduced S.2319, a bill that reduces some of the administrative burden associated with the handling of auction deposits. Specifically, the bill would require spectrum auction deposits … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Sees Flurry of Proposed Spectrum Legislation Three spectrum-related bills or drafts thereof have been introduced in the Senate. First, on November 3, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) introduced S.2227, the Private Spectrum Relocation Funding Act of 2015. The bill would amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act, (NTIA Act), 47 U.S.C. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Federal Spectrum Reallocation and More Auctions Included in Budget Bill Congress’ budget bill contains a number of important spectrum policy items, including a plan for reallocating and auctioning more federal wireless spectrum to commercial providers. Title X of the bill calls on the Secretary of Commerce and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House & Senate Leaders Urge Action on European “Safe Harbor” Ruling Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Senate Commerce Committee) Chairman John Thune (R-SD) along with Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and Reps. Fred Upton (R-MI) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ) wrote a letter to Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and Federal Trade Commission … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Sees New Legislation on Inmate Calling and Video Rates On September 29, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) introduced H.R.3638, the Family Telephone Connection Protection Act of 2015. The bill would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to prescribe rules regulating the rates charged for inmate telephone and video services to ensure such rates … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Lawmakers Expected to Introduce Spectrum Legislation Soon Though nothing has been introduced, recent reports suggest that that the public can expect members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee (House Commerce Committee) and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee (Senate Commerce Committee) to introduce legislation aimed at freeing up government … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Commerce Committee Leaders Press FCC to Delay Vote on Incentive Auction Procedures On July 14, Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce (House Commerce Committee), and Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology (Communications Subcommittee) of the House Commerce Committee, wrote … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Subcommittee Asks FCC for Nationwide Number Portability On July 9, all the members of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee (Communications Subcommittee) of the House Energy and Commerce Committee (House Commerce Committee) wrote a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler asking him to ensure that consumers may take their existing … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Passes DOTCOM Act as Senate Considers Companion Bill On June 23, the House of Representatives (House) passed H.R.805, the Domain Openness Through Continued Oversight Matters Act of 2015 (DOTCOM Act), by a vote of 378 to 25. The DOTCOM Act, previously discussed here and here, prohibits the National Telecommunications and Information Administration … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Commerce Committee Advances FCC Transparency Bill On June 3, the House Energy & Commerce Committee (House Commerce Committee) approved, by voice vote, H.R.2583, the Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2015. The bill was introduced to the House Commerce Committee on May 29 by Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) after having been … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Seven FCC Transparency Bills Approved by House Commerce Subcommittee On May 20, the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s (House Commerce Committee’s) Subcommittee on Communications and Technology (Communications Subcommittee) held a markup session on seven bills designed to improve the processes and transparency of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission). The markup was … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity FCC Commissioners Testify in Senate Appropriations Hearing on FCC’s Budget On May 12, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Tom Wheeler and Commissioner Ajit Pai testified before the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Appropriations in a hearing concerning the FCC’s Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2016 (FY16). The … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Members Introduce Rural Call Completion Joint Resolution On April 29, Reps. Bob Latta (R-OH) and Peter Welch (D-VT) introduced H. Res. 234, a bipartisan resolution outlining the steps that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should take to improve telephone service in rural areas and ensure completion of calls. The resolution asks the … Continue Reading