[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 59 (Monday, April 4, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H4134-H4136]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       SPECTRUM COORDINATION ACT

  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2501) to require the National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration and the Federal Communications Commission to 
update the memorandum of understanding on spectrum coordination, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2501

       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 ``Spectrum Coordination Act''.

[[Page H4135]]

  


     SEC. 2. UPDATE OF MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON SPECTRUM 
                   COORDINATION BETWEEN NTIA AND FCC.

       Not later than December 31, 2022, the National 
     Telecommunications and Information Administration and the 
     Federal Communications Commission shall update the Memorandum 
     of Understanding on Spectrum Coordination entered into in 
     January 2003, to--
       (1) improve upon the process for resolving frequency 
     allocation disputes in shared or adjacent allocations between 
     the National Telecommunications and Information 
     Administration and the Federal Communications Commission to 
     ensure that such disputes are definitively resolved in an 
     efficient and timely manner;
       (2) ensure that spectrum is used efficiently; and
       (3) establish reasonable timelines for the exchange of 
     information between the National Telecommunications and 
     Information Administration and the Federal Communications 
     Commission in order to maintain effective spectrum 
     coordination and collaboration.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Pallone) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 2501.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2501, the Spectrum 
Coordination Act.
  Our country's airways are foundational to next-generation wireless 
networks. These networks offer so much promise to better our lives, as 
they can promote enhanced telehealth services and educational 
opportunities and offer new ways of engaging in entertainment and e-
commerce. These networks can also help propel advancements in 
manufacturing and enhance critical public safety communications to save 
lives.

                              {time}  1715

  But to achieve these important objectives, our airwaves must be 
managed competently and correctly. Unfortunately, in recent years, our 
country has not hit this mark. Instead, the two agencies charged by 
Congress to manage the public's airwaves, the FCC and the National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, or NTIA, have often 
bickered and refused to coordinate their efforts.
  I am pleased to see that with new leadership over the last year, the 
FCC and NTIA have begun to make some headway towards ensuring the 
Federal Government once again speaks with one voice in overseeing our 
airwaves.
  H.R. 2501 helps advance the ball even further. This legislation 
requires the FCC and NTIA to update their memorandum of understanding 
on spectrum coordination by the end of this year. The last time this 
MOU was updated was in 2003, and much has changed since then. An 
updated MOU will reaffirm the commitment of these two agencies to 
provide and allocate our airwaves in a way that best serves consumers, 
commercial carriers, and Federal agencies in the days and months to 
come.
  Over the past several years, the Energy and Commerce Committee has 
worked on a bipartisan basis on several important telecommunications 
matters. I want to commend Subcommittee Chairman Doyle and 
Representative Bilirakis for continuing this tradition through their 
leadership and bipartisan work in advancing this bill out of the 
committee. I hope the Senate can follow suit soon.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to likewise support the Spectrum 
Coordination Act in a bipartisan manner, and I reserve the balance of 
my time.
  Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2501, the Spectrum 
Coordination Act, which was introduced by Representative Bilirakis.
  For decades, the United States has led the world in wireless 
innovation. That leadership was built on effective spectrum management. 
As we look to beat China and usher in the next wave of wireless 
technology, we must continue to make more spectrum available, both for 
commercial and government uses.
  As the demand for more wireless technology grows, spectrum management 
decisions, like balancing commercial and government uses, have become 
more complex.
  For nearly a century, the Federal Communications Commission has 
effectively managed commercial spectrum use. As the expert technical 
agency on spectrum matters, the FCC must continue to rely on science 
and engineering as its guide.
  Just as the demand for commercial spectrum continues to grow, so does 
demand for government spectrum, specifically for use by Federal 
agencies. Access to spectrum is an important ingredient to the missions 
of many Federal agencies. The National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration, the NTIA, is also responsible for managing 
Federal spectrum uses.
  The NTIA and the FCC must work together to maintain the United 
States' wireless leadership, and it is essential that the NTIA 
continues to lead the executive branch's spectrum coordination efforts.
  To help formalize these coordination efforts, in 2003 the FCC and the 
NTIA signed a memorandum of understanding to coordinate Federal and 
non-Federal spectrum matters to ensure our spectrum is put to its 
highest and best use. This interagency agreement has not been updated 
in nearly 20 years.
  Today's legislation requires the FCC and the NTIA to update their MOU 
to reflect the new spectrum management landscape so the United States 
will retain its wireless leadership for years to come.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), the co-lead on this 
legislation.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Madam Speaker, I thank Subcommittee Chair Doyle, the 
ranking member of the subcommittee, and the chairman of the full 
committee as well for their support.
  The spectrum landscape has changed dramatically since 2003, Madam 
Speaker, with increased demand for wireless spectrum, fueling new 
technologies and possibilities.
  While spectrum auctions have occurred over the years, the memorandum 
of understanding between NTIA and the FCC has not been updated to 
reflect the ever-changing landscape.
  While these agencies have recently made strides to update the MOU 
since I introduced this bill last Congress, codifying this action will 
ensure that these agencies are held accountable to get the job done.
  After hearing from both the NTIA and the FCC leadership over the last 
several weeks, I am glad to see this legislation move forward in the 
House and encourage the Senate to also see its importance in preventing 
agency miscommunication as we manage the Nation's spectrum.
  Madam Speaker, we need to get this through.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Balderson).
  Mr. BALDERSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2501, 
the Spectrum Coordination Act.
  Spectrum is a finite and high-demand resource that, when allocated 
correctly, fuels innovation. The industries that use spectrum are 
rapidly evolving, and Federal coordination of spectrum should evolve 
with it.
  That is why I am proud to support the Spectrum Coordination Act, 
sponsored by my friend, Congressman Bilirakis. While the industries 
that use spectrum continue to modernize at an accelerating pace, the 
memorandum of understanding between the NTIA and the FCC on spectrum 
coordination has not been updated since 2003.
  This commonsense bill would instruct the NTIA and FCC to update their 
nearly 20-year-old MOU, ensuring

[[Page H4136]]

that they work together seamlessly to resolve disputes while ensuring 
spectrum is allocated as efficiently as possible. I strongly urge all 
my colleagues to support the Spectrum Coordination Act.

  Mr. LATTA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume 
to close.
  First, I thank the chairman of our Energy and Commerce Committee for 
helping get this bill to the floor. I greatly appreciate his work and 
leadership, and also for the members' work on this, and also the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Michael F. Doyle), as the chair of the 
Communications and Technology Subcommittee.
  As we have heard today, the United States has to retain its 
leadership in wireless for the years to come, and it really requires 
the FCC and the NTIA to work together, especially on this MOU, because 
of the new spectrum management that we have to have out there and the 
landscape that we have.
  Madam Speaker, I urge passage of the legislation, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I would ask bipartisan support for this 
bill, which will continue the objective of trying to coordinate better 
between the two agencies, the FCC and the NTIA.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 
2501, the ``Spectrum Coordination Act'' which requires the National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Federal 
Communications Commission to update the Memorandum of Understanding on 
Spectrum Coordination to improve the process for resolving frequency 
allocation disputes in shared or adjacent spectrum bands and ensure the 
efficient use or sharing of spectrum.
  The memorandum of understanding formalizes the cooperative 
relationship between the two agencies to ensure that spectrum policy 
decisions promote efficient use of spectrum consistent with both the 
economic interests and national security of the Nation.
  Spectrum encompasses a variety of communications, from extremely low 
frequencies which are used by military submarines to communicate with 
one another, to extremely high frequencies which allow all of us to use 
Wi-Fi in our homes and at work.
  Spectrum is also critical for air travel, one of the most important 
industries in the United States and the world. It provides pilots and 
air traffic controllers the ability to communicate from surface to air, 
ensuring passenger safety and scheduled arrival at their destinations.
  In terms of domestic national security, spectrum is crucial in saving 
lives. Due to the devastating effects of climate change, we are seeing 
natural disasters that are more devastating than ever before. The 
effects of these disasters demand an equally significant response from 
our first responders, from local police all the way to FEMA.
  Thanks to the manipulability of spectrum, we have created dedicated 
interoperable frequencies for first responders, allowing them to 
effectively communicate with their counterparts and save more lives.
  Madam Speaker, properly designating jurisdiction of spectrum or radio 
wave oversight is critical in maintaining this country's economic 
prosperity and national security.
  Our society is increasingly relying on technology, and therefore 
spectrum, every day.
  We must update this memorandum to accurately assess and subsequently 
assign jurisdiction based on the technological advances we have made 
since the memorandum's last update in 2003.
  Since 2003, the Internet has transitioned from a luxury to a 
commodity, smart phones are mandatory to be able to fully participate 
in society, and threats to national security have evolved in ways we 
never thought possible.
  In addition, spectrum allocation will even be increasingly important 
in the distant future.
  Astronomers use specialized devices to read radio waves emitted from 
outer space, allowing us to learn more about the universe and its 
origins. Just last week The South African Radio Astronomy Observatory 
released a new image of what it called astronomy's newest mystery: the 
Odd Radio Circle or ORC.
  Astronomers have spotted only a handful of ORCs. They're huge, about 
a million light-years across which is 16 times bigger than our Milky 
Way galaxy. Despite this, the ORCs are hard to see. They're visible 
only at radio wavelengths.
  Right now, we don't know what ORCs are or what causes them, but one 
day we will. The case could be made that when we do know more, it will 
be objectively critical knowledge because humans are explorers, and 
space is our next frontier.
  Space is the next place we will go, and maybe not in this generation 
nor the one after that, but one day we will go. Humans will need all 
the information they can get while exploring the unknown, and all of it 
will be thanks to radio waves and those who read them and understood 
them. Their importance truly cannot be understated.
  Madam Speaker, I firmly believe these factors make updating this 
memorandum of the utmost necessity, so I am proud to support the 
``Spectrum Coordination Act'' and urge my colleagues to as well.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2501, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. GOOD of Virginia. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

                          ____________________