[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 120 (Monday, July 14, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H3218-H3220]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY ACT
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 1717) to direct the Federal Communications Commission to
establish a council to make recommendations on ways to increase the
security, reliability, and interoperability of communications networks,
and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1717
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 ``Communications Security
Act''.
SEC. 2. COUNCIL ON COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY, RELIABILITY, AND
INTEROPERABILITY.
(a) Establishment.--Not later than 90 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall--
(1) establish a council to advise the Commission on issues
including the security, reliability, and interoperability of
communications networks; or
(2) designate for purposes of this section an advisory
committee of the Commission that is operating on the date of
the enactment of this Act under a charter for the purpose of
addressing the issues described in paragraph (1) and, if the
membership of such committee does not comply with subsection
(b), modify such membership to comply with such subsection.
(b) Membership.--
(1) Appointment.--The members of the council shall be
appointed by the Chair.
(2) Composition.--To the extent practicable, the membership
of the council 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.
(3) Knowledge and experience.--Each member of the council
shall have knowledge and experience relevant to the purpose
and goals of the council.
(4) Terms.--
(A) In general.--Each member of the council shall be
appointed for a term of 2 years, except as provided in
subparagraph (B).
(B) Vacancies.--Any member appointed to fill a vacancy
occurring before the expiration of the term for which the
member's predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only
for the remainder of that term. A member may serve after the
expiration of that member's term until a successor has taken
office.
(c) Reports.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date on
which the council is established or designated (as the case
may be) under subsection (a), and every 2 years thereafter,
the council shall submit to the Chair each report adopted by
the council during the preceding 2-year period, and any
report adopted by any working group of the council during
such period, including any such report of the council or a
working group containing recommendations on ways to increase
the security, reliability, and interoperability of
communications networks, and on other relevant issues as
appropriate.
(2) Availability on commission website.--The Commission
shall make each report submitted under paragraph (1) publicly
available on the website of the Commission.
(d) Duration.--Section 1013(a)(2) of title 5, United States
Code (relating to the termination of advisory committees)
shall not apply to the council.
(e) 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) Council.--The term ``council'' means the council
established under subsection (a)(1) or the advisory committee
designated under subsection (a)(2), as the case may be.
(4) 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
[[Page H3219]]
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.
(5) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given such
term in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47
U.S.C. 153).
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 in 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. 1717, the Communications
Security Act, led by the gentleman from Pennsylvania's 13th District
and the gentleman from New Jersey's Eighth District.
The bill strengthens the cybersecurity of critical telecommunications
infrastructure by permanently establishing a Federal Communications
Commission advisory council to increase the security, reliability, and
interoperability of communication networks.
The FCC established the Communications Security, Reliability, and
Interoperability Council, or CSRIC, to provide recommendations to the
Commission regarding best practices and actions the Commission can take
to ensure optimal security, reliability, and operability of commercial
and public safety communications.
A hallmark of the body has been the collaboration between the
representatives of private industry, government, and other stakeholders
in a forum that facilitates information sharing and the advancement of
important issues.
Last fall, we saw one of the most significant attacks on our Nation's
communications networks in the Salt Typhoon, which is publicly reported
to have been carried out by Communist China.
Against that backdrop, it is critical that we continue efforts to
strengthen existing government partnerships with the communications
technology industry. This legislation would accomplish that goal by
making CSRIC a permanent advisory council to the FCC.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan
legislation, 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 strong support of H.R. 1717, the
Communications Security Act.
Our Nation's communications networks play an important role across
many aspects of our daily lives. We are more connected than ever
before, and it is vital that we do all we can to protect this critical
infrastructure and ensure it is reliable and available to all
Americans.
The Federal Communications Commission's Communications Security,
Reliability, and Interoperability Council, or CSRIC, is meant to do
just that. It is made up of government leaders at the Federal, State,
and local levels and thought leaders from industry and public interest
organizations. The Council provides the FCC with recommendations on the
best practices and actions the agency could take so that our
communications networks are secure, reliable, and compatible with each
other.
CSRIC has been in existence since 2009 and was rechartered in 2024
under the Biden administration and former FCC Chairwoman Rosenworcel
for another 2 years. It has served the FCC well by operating in a
collaborative manner with representatives from private industry,
government, and other key stakeholders. The Council is also now co-
chaired by a representative from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure
Security Agency to help foster collaboration between our Nation's
leading cybersecurity experts across the government.
However, given the important objectives of CSRIC, we should not leave
it to the FCC's discretion on whether to recharter this Council or not
every 2 years. Instead, CSRIC must become a permanent fixture at the
FCC.
H.R. 1717 requires the FCC to do just that. Under this bill, the FCC
would be required to establish a permanent council to advise the agency
on the security, reliability, and interoperability of communications
networks within 90 days. This Council would include representatives
from trusted communications companies, public interest organizations,
and academic institutions, as well as Federal, State, local, and Tribal
Governments for a term of 2 years.
This bill also requires the Council and its working groups to submit
reports offering their recommendations to the chair of the FCC every 2
years. In turn, the FCC must make these reports publicly available on
its website.
I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez) and the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce) for their bipartisan leadership
on this bill. It is an important step in protecting our communications
networks from bad actors and foreign adversaries.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez), a member of the Energy and Commerce
Committee.
Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1717, the
Communications Security Act.
One of the many vital functions that the Federal Communications
Commission serves is ensuring that our Nation's communications systems
are prepared to deal with cybersecurity threats and natural disasters.
We know that threats to critical infrastructure that put our
communities in harm's way are on the rise, and we need expert
collaboration at the FCC to ensure that our communications networks
remain reliable when we need them the most.
Countless tragic and heartbreaking incidents have highlighted the
urgent need to bolster these networks, from the recent flooding in
Texas, to Hurricane Helene last year, to Superstorm Sandy that
devastated my home State of New Jersey in 2012.
In these moments, our ability to communicate with one another and
with emergency responders is vital. That is why the FCC should have a
permanent advisory council that can provide recommendations regarding
both the rapid restoration of communications services in the event of
widespread or major network disruptions and the steps communications
providers can take to help secure these networks and everyone who
relies on them.
My bill would codify the Communications Security, Reliability, and
Interoperability Council, or CSRIC, which focuses on improving next-
generation 911, emergency preparedness, network security, resiliency,
and interoperability.
Time and again, CSRIC has improved the reliability, availability, and
performance of our communications networks during natural disasters,
terrorist attacks, and cybersecurity attacks. It is common sense that
we should make this council permanent.
The bill specifies that CSRIC must include representatives from a
wide range of stakeholders from the communications industry, academia,
the public-interest sector, and State, local, and Tribal Governments,
ensuring that everyone is at the table to help keep our communities
safe and secure.
In a time when oversight is key, this bill would require biennial
reporting to the FCC, Congress, and the public, with recommendations on
future improvements and updates to keep all of us and the American
public informed.
I thank my colleague and good friend from the great State of New
Jersey, Ranking Member Pallone, for helping move this bill forward. I
also thank my colleague from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce) for joining me in
this bipartisan effort.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of the
bill.
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared
to close. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I urge unanimous support for this bill, and
I yield back the balance of my time.
[[Page H3220]]
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Speaker, I also urge support of this legislation
because, as I have said, we have been working on many of these areas in
the Energy and Commerce Committee. Again, I would ask for a ``yea''
vote on the legislation, and 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. 1717.
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.
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