[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 25397]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4942, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA APPROPRIATIONS 
                               ACT, 2000

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                               speech of

                          HON. JO ANN EMERSON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 26, 2000

  Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of section 1012 of the 
Launching Our Communities Access to Local Television Act of 2000, title 
X of the Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary and related 
agencies appropriations conference report. Section 1012 provides for 
independent testing of terrestrial technologies in the 12 GHz band. My 
support for this section is conditioned on the understanding that this 
provision will not add any delay to any current FCC proceeding.
  The Satellite Home Viewer's Improvement Act (``SHVIA''), which we 
passed a year ago, required the FCC to act on applications to provide 
local television service in unserved and underserved areas. We gave the 
FCC one year to make its determinations regarding these applications, 
which at that time had already been pending before the FCC for nearly 
one year. I am highly aware of the need for local television and 
broadband services that can be provided by new terrestrial wireless 
technologies. The deadline for FCC action under SHVIA is fast 
approaching and I expect the FCC to act on the applications by November 
29, 2000 as required. The residents of my rural district have waited 
too long for service that matches that which is available in our 
nation's more populated area.

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