[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2912 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2912

 To liberalize controls on the export of telecommunications equipment 
and technology in order to promote democracy and free communication and 
                   enhance economic competitiveness.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 6, 1993

Mr. Wyden (for himself, Mr. Kolbe, Mr. Skaggs, and Ms. Dunn) introduced 
  the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs.

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To liberalize controls on the export of telecommunications equipment 
and technology in order to promote democracy and free communication and 
                   enhance economic competitiveness.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    (a) The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The free exchange of ideas and information through 
        modern, reliable telecommunications equipment fosters the 
        development of democratic institutions, the promotion of free 
        market economic reforms, and the facilitation of international 
        commerce.
            (2) Exports of advanced telecommunications equipment and 
        technology contribute to United States economic competitiveness 
        and high-skill, high-wage jobs in the United States.
            (3) Export restrictions on telecommunications equipment and 
        technology are outdated, controlling the export of equipment 
        and technology that is more than 10 years old and has over 15 
        times less capacity than similar equipment and technology in 
        use today in the United States.
            (4) Foreign availability of telecommunications equipment 
        and technology exists both from countries that do not belong to 
        or cooperate with the Coordinating Committee for Multilateral 
        Export Controls, and from within countries to which exports of 
        such equipment and technology are controlled by agreement of 
        the Coordinating Committee.

SEC. 2. EXPORT CONTROLS ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Section 5(c) of the Export Administration Act of 
1979 (50 U.S.C. App. 2404(c)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
            ``(8)(A) The Secretary shall, not later than 30 days after 
        the date of the enactment of this paragraph, propose to the 
        Coordinating Committee that exports of telecommunications 
        equipment and telecommunications technology for civil end uses 
        shall not require a validated license for export to any of the 
        republics of the former Soviet Union, the People's Republic of 
        China, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, 
        Albania, Estonia, Lithuania, or Latvia.
            ``(B) For purposes of this paragraph--
                    ``(i) the term `telecommunications equipment' 
                includes--
                            ``(I) telephone switching systems and 
                        stored program controlled communications 
                        switching systems, including related features 
                        and components that provide services and 
                        management of telecommunications networks;
                            ``(II) telecommunications transmission 
                        equipment;
                            ``(III) microwave, light wave, and other 
                        radio relay, transmitting, or test equipment, 
                        and related components and accessories;
                            ``(IV) telecommunications cables and 
                        components, including optical fibers and 
                        optical fiber cables;
                            ``(V) equipment containing frequency 
                        synthesizers when used in land-based mobile 
                        communications systems;
                            ``(VI) equipment described in any of 
                        subclauses (I) through (V), or any other 
                        telecommunications equipment, that contains 
                        lasers;
                            ``(VII) computer hardware and application 
                        specific software which are related to any of 
                        the items described in clauses (I) through (VI) 
                        and are required for data communications; and
                            ``(VIII) all spare parts, components, and 
                        measuring or test equipment related to any of 
                        the items described in subclauses (I) through 
                        (VII);
                    ``(ii) the term `telecommunications technology' 
                means technology related to telecommunications 
                equipment, including technology for the production, 
                development, and use of telecommunications equipment;
                    ``(iii) the term `telecommunications networks' 
                includes local area, intracity, intercity, and 
                international telecommunications networks; and
                    ``(iv) the term `telecommunications' means voice, 
                video, and data communications over any public or 
                private network or broadcasting system, and services 
                related to such communications.''.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the President shall submit to the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
Affairs of the Senate a report certifying that the proposal required by 
section 5(c)(8) of the Export Administration Act of 1979 (as added by 
subsection (a) of this section) has been made to the members of the 
Coordinating Committee and outlining the plans to gain the concurrence 
of the other members of the Committee in the proposal.

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