[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5117 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5117

To ensure appropriate policies, planning, interagency coordination, and 
        spectrum availability to support the Internet of Things.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 28, 2016

Mr. Paulsen (for himself and Mr. Welch) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To ensure appropriate policies, planning, interagency coordination, and 
        spectrum availability to support the Internet of Things.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Developing Innovation and Growing 
the Internet of Things Act'' or ``DIGIT Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the ``Internet of Things'' refers to the growing number 
        of connected and interconnected devices;
            (2) estimates indicate that more than 50,000,000,000 
        devices will be connected to the Internet by the year 2020;
            (3) the Internet of Things has the potential to generate 
        trillions of dollars in new economic activity around the world;
            (4) businesses across the country can develop new services 
        and products, improve operations, simplify logistics, cut 
        costs, and pass savings on to consumers by utilizing the 
        Internet of Things and related innovations;
            (5) the United States leads the world in the development of 
        technologies that support the Internet, and the United States 
        technology sector is well-positioned to lead in the development 
        of technologies for the Internet of Things;
            (6) the United States Government can implement this 
        technology to better deliver services to the public; and
            (7) the United States Senate unanimously passed Senate 
        Resolution 110, 114th Congress, agreed to March 24, 2015, 
        calling for a national strategy for the development of the 
        Internet of Things.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that policies 
governing the Internet of Things should maximize the potential and 
development of the Internet of Things to benefit all stakeholders, 
including businesses, governments, and consumers.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation of the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
                House of Representatives.
            (2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Communications Commission.
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Commerce.
            (4) Steering committee.--The term ``steering committee'' 
        means the steering committee established under section 4(e)(1).
            (5) Working group.--The term ``working group'' means the 
        working group convened under section 4(a).

SEC. 4. FEDERAL WORKING GROUP.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall convene a working group of 
Federal stakeholders for the purpose of providing recommendations and a 
report to Congress related to the aspects of the Internet of Things 
described in subsection (b).
    (b) Duties.--The working group shall--
            (1) identify any Federal regulations, statutes, grant 
        practices, budgetary or jurisdictional challenges, and other 
        sector-specific policies that are inhibiting or could inhibit 
        the development of the Internet of Things;
            (2) consider policies or programs that encourage and 
        improve coordination among Federal agencies with jurisdiction 
        over the Internet of Things;
            (3) consider any findings or recommendations made by the 
        steering committee and, where appropriate, act to implement 
        those recommendations; and
            (4) examine--
                    (A) how Federal agencies can benefit from utilizing 
                the Internet of Things;
                    (B) the current use of Internet of Things 
                technology by Federal agencies; and
                    (C) the preparedness and ability of Federal 
                agencies to adopt Internet of Things technology in the 
                future.
    (c) Agency Representatives.--In convening the working group under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall have discretion to appoint 
representatives and shall specifically consider seeking representation 
from--
            (1) the Department of Commerce, including--
                    (A) the National Telecommunications and Information 
                Administration;
                    (B) the National Institute of Standards and 
                Technology; and
                    (C) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                Administration;
            (2) the Department of Transportation;
            (3) the National Science Foundation;
            (4) the Federal Communications Commission;
            (5) the Federal Trade Commission; and
            (6) the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
    (d) Nongovernmental Stakeholders.--The working group shall consult 
with nongovernmental stakeholders, including--
            (1) the steering committee;
            (2) information and communications technology 
        manufacturers, suppliers, service providers, and vendors;
            (3) subject matter experts representing industrial sectors 
        other than the technology sector that can benefit from the 
        Internet of Things, including the agriculture and health care 
        sectors;
            (4) small, medium, and large businesses;
            (5) think tanks and academia;
            (6) nonprofit organizations and consumer groups;
            (7) rural stakeholders; and
            (8) other stakeholders with relevant expertise, as 
        determined by the Secretary.
    (e) Steering Committee.--
            (1) Establishment.--There is established within the 
        Department of Commerce a steering committee to advise the 
        working group.
            (2) Duties.--The steering committee shall advise the 
        working group with regard to--
                    (A) the identification of any Federal regulations, 
                statutes, grant practices, programs, budgetary or 
                jurisdictional challenges, and other sector-specific 
                policies that are inhibiting or could inhibit the 
                development of the Internet of Things;
                    (B) whether adequate spectrum is available to 
                support the growing Internet of Things and what legal 
                or regulatory barriers may exist to providing any 
                spectrum needed in the future;
                    (C) policies or programs that promote or are 
                related to the privacy of individuals who use or are 
                affected by the Internet of Things;
                    (D) policies or programs that may enhance the 
                security of the Internet of Things;
                    (E) policies or programs that may protect users of 
                the Internet of Things;
                    (F) policies or programs that may encourage 
                coordination among Federal agencies with jurisdiction 
                over the Internet of Things; and
                    (G) any international proceeding, international 
                negotiation, or other international matter affecting 
                the Internet of Things to which the United States is or 
                should be a party.
            (3) Membership.--The Secretary shall appoint to the 
        steering committee members representing a wide range of 
        stakeholders outside the Federal Government with expertise 
        relating to the Internet of Things, including--
                    (A) information and communications technology 
                manufacturers, suppliers, service providers, and 
                vendors;
                    (B) subject matter experts representing industrial 
                sectors other than the technology sector that can 
                benefit from the Internet of Things, including the 
                agriculture and health care sectors;
                    (C) small, medium, and large businesses;
                    (D) think tanks and academia;
                    (E) nonprofits and consumer groups;
                    (F) rural stakeholders; and
                    (G) other stakeholders with relevant expertise, as 
                determined by the Secretary.
            (4) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the steering committee shall submit to 
        the working group a report that includes any findings or 
        recommendations of the steering committee.
            (5) Independent advice.--
                    (A) In general.--The steering committee shall set 
                its own agenda in carrying out its duties under 
                paragraph (2).
                    (B) Suggestions.--The working group may suggest 
                topics or items for the steering committee to study, 
                and the steering committee shall take such suggestions 
                into consideration in carrying out its duties.
                    (C) Report.--The steering committee shall ensure 
                that the report submitted under paragraph (4) is the 
                result of the independent judgment of the steering 
                committee.
            (6) Termination.--The steering committee shall terminate on 
        the date on which the working group submits the report under 
        subsection (f) unless, on or before that date, the Secretary 
        files a new charter for the steering committee in accordance 
        with section 9(c) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 
        U.S.C. App.).
    (f) Report to Congress.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the working group shall submit to the 
appropriate committees of Congress a report that includes--
            (1) the findings and recommendations of the working group 
        with respect to the duties of the working group under 
        subsection (b);
            (2) the report submitted by the steering committee under 
        subsection (e)(4), as the report was received by the working 
        group;
            (3) recommendations for action or reasons for inaction, as 
        applicable, on each recommendation made by the steering 
        committee in the report submitted under subsection (e)(4); and
            (4) an accounting of any progress made by Federal agencies 
        to implement recommendations made by the working group or the 
        steering committee.

SEC. 5. ASSESSING SPECTRUM NEEDS.

    (a) In General.--The Commission, in consultation with the National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, shall issue a notice 
of inquiry seeking public comment on the current and future spectrum 
needs of the Internet of Things.
    (b) Requirements.--In issuing the notice of inquiry under 
subsection (a), the Commission shall seek comments that consider and 
evaluate--
            (1) whether adequate spectrum is available to support the 
        growing Internet of Things;
            (2) what regulatory barriers may exist to providing any 
        needed spectrum for the Internet of Things; and
            (3) what the role of licensed and unlicensed spectrum is 
        and will be in the growth of the Internet of Things.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Commission shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
Congress a report summarizing the comments submitted in response to the 
notice of inquiry issued under subsection (a).
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