[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 70 (Monday, April 28, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H1663-H1665]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FUTURE USES OF TECHNOLOGY UPHOLDING RELIABLE AND ENHANCED NETWORKS ACT
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2449) to direct the Federal Communications Commission to
establish a task force to be known as the ``6G Task Force'', and for
other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2449
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 ``Future Uses of Technology
Upholding Reliable and Enhanced Networks Act'' or the
``FUTURE Networks Act''.
SEC. 2. 6G TASK FORCE.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 120 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall establish
a task force to be known as the ``6G Task Force''.
(b) Membership.--
(1) Appointment.--The members of the Task Force shall be
appointed by the Chair.
(2) Composition.--To the extent practicable, the membership
of the Task Force shall be composed of the following:
(A) Representatives of companies in the communications
industry, except companies that are determined by the Chair
to be not trusted.
(B) Representatives of public interest organizations or
academic institutions, except public interest organizations
or academic institutions that are determined by the Chair to
be not trusted.
(C) Representatives of the Federal Government, State
governments, local governments, or Tribal Governments, with
at least one member representing each such type of
government.
(c) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date on
which the Task Force is established under subsection (a), the
Task Force shall publish in the Federal Register and on the
website of the Commission, and submit to the Committee on
Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and
[[Page H1664]]
Transportation of the Senate, a report on sixth-generation
wireless technology, including--
(A) the status of industry-led standards-setting bodies in
setting standards for such technology;
(B) possible uses of such technology identified by
industry-led standards-setting bodies that are setting
standards for such technology;
(C) any limitations of such technology (including any
supply chain or cybersecurity limitations) identified by
industry-led standards-setting bodies that are setting
standards for such technology; and
(D) how to best work with entities across the Federal
Government, State governments, local governments, and Tribal
Governments to leverage such technology, including with
regard to siting, deployment, and adoption.
(2) Draft report; public comment.--The Task Force shall--
(A) not later than 180 days after the date on which the
Task Force is established under subsection (a), publish in
the Federal Register and on the website of the Commission a
draft of the report required by paragraph (1); and
(B) accept public comments on such draft and take such
comments into consideration in preparing the final version of
such report.
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Chair.--The term ``Chair'' means the Chair of the
Commission.
(2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal
Communications Commission.
(3) Not trusted.--
(A) In general.--The term ``not trusted'' means, with
respect to an entity, that--
(i) the Chair has made a public determination that such
entity is owned by, controlled by, or subject to the
influence of a foreign adversary; or
(ii) the Chair otherwise determines that such entity poses
a threat to the national security of the United States.
(B) Criteria for determination.--In making a determination
under subparagraph (A)(ii), the Chair shall use the criteria
described in paragraphs (1) through (4) of section 2(c) of
the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019
(47 U.S.C. 1601(c)), as appropriate.
(4) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given such
term in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47
U.S.C. 153).
(5) Task force.--The term ``Task Force'' means the 6G Task
Force established under subsection (a).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs.
Dingell) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
General Leave
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material in the Record on this particular bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, H.R. 2449, the FUTURE
Networks Act led by Representative Matsui and Representative Allen.
United States leadership in 6G technology is critical for both our
economic and national security.
This bill would direct the FCC to establish a 6G Task Force made up
of both public and private-sector participants to develop a report on
the standards development process and possible uses of sixth-generation
technology. This task force will ensure that the United States has a
unified position to cement our leadership in 6G, which is so critical.
This legislation has strong bipartisan support.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2449, the FUTURE Networks Act.
This bipartisan legislation is an important step to protect Americans
and our communication networks from threats posed by rapidly evolving
next-generation technologies. It also ensures that the standards used
to build technological advancements are designed from the start to be
safe and secure.
H.R. 2449 establishes a task force at the Federal Communications
Commission to study sixth-generation, or 6G, technologies to identify
potential supply chain and cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The task
force will include government, public interest advocates, academics,
and industry.
The United States leads the world in the innovation of secure and
resilient next-generation technologies, a position congressional
Democrats have fought hard to sustain. Among other things, House
Democrats have worked to increase the safety of our networks and supply
chains by examining the security of mobile networks and educate
consumers about cybersecurity vulnerabilities and risks. The FUTURE
Networks Act is yet another important step to support America's
leadership in a secure and reliable future.
By directing the FCC to engage in the exploration of 6G technology in
the early stages of development, the FUTURE Networks Act will enable
American values to be embedded within the global framework for this
technology and to ensure it will be available to all Americans.
I thank Communications and Technology Subcommittee Ranking Member
Matsui and Representatives Allen and Walberg for their bipartisan work
on this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2449, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen.)
Mr. ALLEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Florida, Mr.
Bilirakis, for yielding.
As vice chairman of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, I
rise today in support of the bipartisan FUTURE Networks Act, which I
proudly introduced with my colleagues, Representative Matsui and
Representative Walberg.
This commonsense legislation would direct the FCC to bring together
industry leaders, public interest groups, and government experts to
establish a 6G Task Force.
As we all know, 6G is the future of telecommunications, and we must
ensure that the United States is a global leader in this emerging
technology. Failure to do so would put our adversaries, like the
Chinese Communist Party, in the driver's seat. We cannot allow that to
happen.
I come from the world of business and just like in business we want
the best, most qualified individuals to have a seat at the table. By
establishing a 6G Task Force, we can bring together America's brightest
industry leaders, stakeholders, and innovators to collaborate on the
future deployment of 6G and strengthening our wireless networks.
This is a matter of economic and national security. I was proud to
help lead the FUTURE Networks Act this Congress. I strongly encourage
all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2449.
Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Matsui), the ranking member of the Communications and
Technology Subcommittee.
Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Dingell for yielding
me time.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the FUTURE Networks Act, and
I thank Representatives Allen and Walberg for our joint effort in
making this a very bipartisan bill.
I introduced this bill to ensure America continues our leadership and
standard setting in the global technology race.
Mr. Speaker, 6G is going to be a global evolution in the way we
communicate. If we lead the race for next-generation wireless, then
this global technology will be based on our values, democracy, open
markets, and transparency.
If we fall behind, our foreign adversaries will have a new way to
expand their reach. That means less openness, less security, and more
top-down control.
This risk is real. Already, China is leading in the 6G patent race,
filing about 35 percent of patents globally.
To stay the global leader, America must invest in innovation and
convene our best and brightest to map the road ahead.
This is increasingly true as artificial intelligence redefines our
society and drives rapid change, including in our communications
infrastructure.
{time} 1645
Mr. Speaker, 6G networks will leverage AI to meet the connectivity
demand of American consumers and businesses. Mr. Speaker, 6G also can
support smart cities and supercharge augmented reality applications for
education, healthcare, and manufacturing.
[[Page H1665]]
Given such transformative potential, we must be proactive and make
sure America sets the gold standard for this next-generation
technology. That is why I am so glad to see this bipartisan bill moving
forward today.
The FUTURE Networks Act ensures our brightest minds in industry,
government, and academia are collaborating on the strategically vital
development of 6G. The race to 6G is not just about faster phones; it
is about national security, the economy, and America's standing on the
world stage.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of suspending the
rules and passing this important legislation.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the
aisle to support H.R. 2449, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
I commend Representative Allen, the vice chair of the Communications
and Technology Subcommittee; Representative Matsui, the ranking member;
and also my good friend, Mr. Walberg, for this very important bill. I
encourage Members to vote ``yes'' on this bill, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 2449.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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