[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 120 (Monday, July 14, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H3209-H3211]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
UNDERSTANDING CYBERSECURITY OF MOBILE NETWORKS ACT
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 1709) to direct the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Communications and Information to submit to Congress a report examining
the cybersecurity of mobile service networks, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1709
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 ``Understanding Cybersecurity
of Mobile Networks Act''.
SEC. 2. REPORT ON CYBERSECURITY OF MOBILE SERVICE NETWORKS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary, in
consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, shall
submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House
of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate a report examining the
cybersecurity of mobile service networks and the
vulnerability of such networks and mobile devices to
cyberattacks and surveillance conducted by adversaries.
(b) Matters To Be Included.--The report required by
subsection (a) shall include the following:
(1) An assessment of the degree to which providers of
mobile service have addressed, are addressing, or have not
addressed cybersecurity vulnerabilities (including
vulnerabilities the exploitation of which could lead to
surveillance conducted by adversaries) identified by academic
and independent researchers, multistakeholder standards and
technical organizations, industry experts, and Federal
agencies, including in relevant reports of--
(A) the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration;
(B) the National Institute of Standards and Technology; and
(C) the Department of Homeland Security, including--
(i) the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency;
and
(ii) the Science and Technology Directorate.
(2) A discussion of--
(A) the degree to which customers (including consumers,
companies, and government agencies) consider cybersecurity as
a factor when considering the purchase of mobile service and
mobile devices; and
(B) the commercial availability of tools, frameworks, best
practices, and other resources for enabling such customers to
evaluate cybersecurity risk and price tradeoffs.
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(3) A discussion of the degree to which providers of mobile
service have implemented cybersecurity best practices and
risk assessment frameworks.
(4) An estimate and discussion of the prevalence and
efficacy of encryption and authentication algorithms and
techniques used in each of the following:
(A) Mobile service.
(B) Mobile communications equipment or services.
(C) Commonly used mobile phones and other mobile devices.
(D) Commonly used mobile operating systems and
communications software and applications.
(5) A discussion of the barriers for providers of mobile
service to adopt more efficacious encryption and
authentication algorithms and techniques and to prohibit the
use of older encryption and authentication algorithms and
techniques with established vulnerabilities in mobile
service, mobile communications equipment or services, and
mobile phones and other mobile devices.
(6) An estimate and discussion of the prevalence, usage,
and availability of technologies that authenticate legitimate
mobile service and mobile communications equipment or
services to which mobile phones and other mobile devices are
connected.
(7) An estimate and discussion of the prevalence, costs,
commercial availability, and usage by adversaries in the
United States of cell site simulators (often known as
international mobile subscriber identity catchers) and other
mobile service surveillance and interception technologies.
(c) Consultation.--In preparing the report required by
subsection (a), the Assistant Secretary shall, to the degree
practicable, consult with--
(1) the Federal Communications Commission;
(2) the National Institute of Standards and Technology;
(3) the intelligence community;
(4) the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency of
the Department of Homeland Security;
(5) the Science and Technology Directorate of the
Department of Homeland Security;
(6) academic and independent researchers with expertise in
privacy, encryption, cybersecurity, and network threats;
(7) participants in multistakeholder standards and
technical organizations (including the 3rd Generation
Partnership Project and the Internet Engineering Task Force);
(8) international stakeholders, in coordination with the
Department of State as appropriate;
(9) providers of mobile service, including small providers
(or the representatives of such providers) and rural
providers (or the representatives of such providers);
(10) manufacturers, operators, and providers of mobile
communications equipment or services and mobile phones and
other mobile devices;
(11) developers of mobile operating systems and
communications software and applications; and
(12) other experts that the Assistant Secretary considers
appropriate.
(d) Scope of Report.--The Assistant Secretary shall--
(1) limit the report required by subsection (a) to mobile
service networks;
(2) exclude consideration of 5G protocols and networks in
the report required by subsection (a);
(3) limit the assessment required by subsection (b)(1) to
vulnerabilities that have been shown to be--
(A) exploited in non-laboratory settings; or
(B) feasibly and practicably exploitable in real-world
conditions; and
(4) consider in the report required by subsection (a)
vulnerabilities that have been effectively mitigated by
manufacturers of mobile phones and other mobile devices.
(e) Form of Report.--
(1) Classified information.--The report required by
subsection (a) shall be produced in unclassified form but may
contain a classified annex.
(2) Potentially exploitable unclassified information.--The
Assistant Secretary shall redact potentially exploitable
unclassified information from the report required by
subsection (a) but shall provide an unredacted form of the
report to the committees described in such subsection.
(f) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Adversary.--The term ``adversary'' includes--
(A) any unauthorized hacker or other intruder into a mobile
service network; and
(B) any foreign government or foreign nongovernment person
engaged in a long-term pattern or serious instances of
conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the
United States or security and safety of United States
persons.
(2) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary''
means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications
and Information.
(3) Entity.--The term ``entity'' means a partnership,
association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group,
subgroup, or other organization.
(4) Intelligence community.--The term ``intelligence
community'' has the meaning given that term in section 3 of
the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003).
(5) Mobile communications equipment or service.--The term
``mobile communications equipment or service'' means any
equipment or service that is essential to the provision of
mobile service.
(6) Mobile service.--The term ``mobile service'' means, to
the extent provided to United States customers, either or
both of the following services:
(A) Commercial mobile service (as defined in section 332(d)
of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 332(d))).
(B) Commercial mobile data service (as defined in section
6001 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of
2012 (47 U.S.C. 1401)).
(7) Person.--The term ``person'' means an individual or
entity.
(8) United states person.--The term ``United States
person'' means--
(A) an individual who is a United States citizen or an
alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence to the United
States;
(B) an entity organized under the laws of the United States
or any jurisdiction within the United States, including a
foreign branch of such an entity; or
(C) any person in the United States.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Latta) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.
General Leave
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
insert extraneous material into the Record on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Ohio?
There was no objection.
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1709, the Understanding
Cybersecurity of Mobile Networks Act, led by the gentlewoman from
Florida's Third District and the gentleman from Ohio's First District.
In recent years, we have seen a rise in large-scale cybersecurity
attacks that put Americans at risk. Attacks like the Salt Typhoon have
directly impacted the communications of public officials, including
President Trump and Vice President Vance.
While mobile service providers take numerous steps to address
vulnerabilities in the networks, threats to our mobile networks
continue to exist. To sufficiently address threats across networks,
Congress needs a sophisticated and comprehensive assessment of what
vulnerabilities persist, what issues have been resolved, and where
mobile cybersecurity policymaking should be focused.
The Understanding Cybersecurity of Mobile Networks Act requires the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration, NTIA, to
submit to Congress a comprehensive report examining the cybersecurity
at existing wireless networks and vulnerabilities to cyberattacks and
surveillance by adversaries. This bipartisan bill will ensure
communications networks are safe and protect the privacy and security
of the American people.
This bipartisan legislation passed by a vote of 393-22 in the last
Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1709, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1709, the Understanding
Cybersecurity of Mobile Networks Act.
The security of our mobile networks and devices is paramount to
American security overall. Most Americans carry a cell phone or other
mobile device with them all the time, and this trend is unlikely to
change as we are only becoming more and more connected.
Consumers, therefore, deserve to stay in touch with their friends and
family, use social media, or connect to the internet without fear of
their devices being hacked. We must ensure that these devices, the
networks they run on, and the vast amount of data they hold are secure
and protected from the malicious actions of our foreign adversaries and
other bad actors.
H.R. 1709 is an important step toward addressing these concerns.
This bill directs the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Communications and Information to report to Congress on the
cybersecurity threats our mobile networks and mobile devices face at
the hands of foreign adversaries and other bad actors. Among other
things, the report will include an assessment of whether mobile
carriers have or have not addressed cybersecurity vulnerabilities in
their respective
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networks. It will also include an analysis of whether there are
commercially available tools to help consumers evaluate the
cybersecurity risks of these networks.
I thank Representatives Landsman and Cammack for their bipartisan
work on this bill. It is a good step toward ensuring we can protect our
mobile networks from evolving threats. I know we will continue to work
toward securing our country's data, devices, and networks, whether from
a foreign adversary or a domestic threat.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Landsman), who is a member of our committee.
Mr. LANDSMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Ohio (Mr. Latta)
and Mr. Pallone.
This is, I think, a really important bipartisan piece of legislation.
It is a very simple and straightforward bill. It is simpler than the
name itself. H.R. 1709, the Understanding Cybersecurity of Mobile
Networks Act, is a mouthful, but the bill is really quite simple, as
Mr. Latta and Mr. Pallone described.
We have foreign adversaries like Russia and China that are attempting
to get our data. There have been breaches, including our own personal
data and personal devices, and so the goal of this bill is to require
an interagency group to build out all the information we need to ensure
that we understand where all of our vulnerabilities are and that we are
dealing with those vulnerabilities--where are the gaps, how our foreign
adversaries are accessing data, how could they be accessing our data,
and how to further our ability to stop our enemies from attacking our
individual devices.
This is an important step toward understanding and improving our
cybersecurity for the safety and protection of all Americans. It passed
overwhelmingly in the Energy and Commerce Committee. This is a
bipartisan bill. I thank the staff on both sides of the Energy and
Commerce Committee, Republican and Democratic, for helping us put this
together.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support it today.
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, this is an important bill, as was described
by the sponsor, and I urge my colleagues to support it. I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, cybersecurity is something we have talked
about not only in the Energy and Commerce Committee for many years, but
it is also absolutely essential that our wireless networks are not
vulnerable to attacks, especially by our adversaries across the globe.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support and ask for passage of the legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 1709.
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. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________