[Senate Report 119-25]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
Calendar No. 87
119th Congress} { Report
SENATE
1st Session } { 119-25
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REMOVING OUR UNSECURE TECHNOLOGIES TO ENSURE RELIABILITY AND SECURITY
ACT
__________
R E P O R T
of the
COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
on
S. 244
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
June 2, 2025.--Ordered to be printed
__________
U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
WASHINGTON : 2025
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SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION
one hundred nineteenth congress
first session
TED CRUZ, Texas, Chairman
JOHN THUNE, South Dakota MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii
JERRY MORAN, Kansas EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts
DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska GARY C. PETERS, Michigan
MARSHA BLACKBURN, Tennessee TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin
TODD YOUNG, Indiana TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois
TED BUDD, North Carolina JACKY ROSEN, Nevada
ERIC SCHMITT, Missouri BEN RAY LUJAN, New Mexico
JOHN CURTIS, Utah JOHN W. HICKENLOOPER, Colorado
BERNIE MORENO, Ohio JOHN FETTERMAN, Pennsylvania
TIM SHEEHY, Montana ANDY KIM, New Jersey
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia LISA BLUNT ROCHESTER, Delaware
CYNTHIA M. LUMMIS, Wyoming
Brad Grantz, Majority Staff Director
Lila Harper Helms, Democratic Staff Director
Calendar No. 87
119th Congress Report
SENATE
1st Session 119-25
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REMOVING OUR UNSECURE TECHNOLOGIES TO ENSURE RELIABILITY AND SECURITY
ACT
_______
June 2, 2025.--Ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Cruz, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation,
submitted the following
R E P O R T
[To accompany S. 244]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to
which was referred the bill (S. 244) to direct the Secretary of
Commerce, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Commerce
for Communications and Information, to conduct a study of the
national security risks posed by consumer routers, modems, and
devices that combine a modem and router, and for other
purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon
with amendments and recommends that the bill, as amended, do
pass.
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of S. 244 is to require the Secretary of
Commerce to conduct a study of the national security risks and
cybersecurity vulnerabilities posed by consumer routers,
modems, and devices that combine a modem and router made by,
in, or owned by certain countries.
BACKGROUND AND NEEDS
Wireless routers are the primary access point to the
internet for millions of Americans and small businesses;
however, many of these routers are vulnerable to infiltration
by foreign adversaries.\1\ China in particular has infected
routers in the United States and other countries, stealing
intellectual property and pre-positioning in critical
infrastructure.\2\ Recent cyberattacks have led to
investigations into TP-Link, a Chinese router-manufacturer, by
the Commerce, Defense, and Justice departments.\3\
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\1\Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, ``CISA Partners
with ASD's ACSC, CCCS, NCSC-UK, and Other International and US
Organizations to Release Guidance on Edge Devices,'' alert, February 4,
2025 (https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2025/02/04/cisa-partners-
asds-acsc-cccs-ncsc-uk-and-other-international-and-us-organizations-
release-guidance).
\2\Department of Justice, ``U.S. Government Disrupts Botnet
People's Republic of China Used to Conceal Hacking of Critical
Infrastructure,'' press release, January 31, 2024 (https://
www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/us-government-disrupts-botnet-peoples-
republic-china-used-conceal-hacking-critical).
\3\Heather Somerville et al., ``U.S. Weighs Ban on Chinese-Made
Router in Millions of American Homes,'' The Wall Street Journal,
December 18, 2024 (https://www.wsj.com/politics/
national-security/us-ban-china-router-tp-link-systems-7d7507e6).
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In August 2024, the House Select Committee on the Chinese
Communist Party sent a letter to former Secretary of Commerce
Gina Raimondo requesting that TP-Link be investigated due to
its ``unusual degree of vulnerabilities and required compliance
with PRC law.''\4\ S. 244 would require the Secretary to
conduct a study and report on the national security risks and
cybersecurity vulnerabilities posed by consumer routers,
modems, and devices that combine a modem and router designed,
developed, manufactured, or supplied by persons owned by,
controlled by, or subject to the malign influence of a covered
country, as currently defined in law. Under current law, a
covered nation is defined as the Democratic People's Republic
of North Korea; the People's Republic of China; the Russian
Federation; and the Islamic Republic of Iran.
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\4\Letter from Chairman John Moolenaar and Ranking Member Raja
Krishnamoorthi, Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, U.S.
House of Representatives, to Hon. Gina Raimondo, Secretary of the
Department of Commerce, August 13, 2024 (https://
selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/
selectcommitteeontheccp.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2024-08-
13%20Letter%20to%20Commerce%20re%20TP-Link%20(filed).pdf).
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LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
S. 244 was introduced on January 24, 2025, by Senator
Blackburn (for herself and Senator Lujan) and was referred to
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate. Senator Warner is an additional cosponsor. On March 12,
2025, the Committee met in open Executive Session and, by voice
vote, ordered S. 244 reported favorably with amendments.
H.R. 866, a House companion bill to S. 244, was introduced
on January 31, 2025, by Representative Latta (for himself and
Representative Kelly) and was referred to the Committee on
Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives. On April
8, 2025, H.R. 866, as amended, was ordered to be reported by
voice vote. On April 28, 2025, the House passed H.R. 866, as
amended, by voice vote under suspension of the rules.
118th Congress
H.R. 7589, the ROUTERS Act, was introduced on March 8,
2024, by Representative Latta (for himself and Representative
Peltola) and referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
of the House of Representatives. On March 20, 2024, H.R. 7589
was ordered to be reported by a vote of 43-0. On September 9,
2024, the House passed H.R. 7589 by voice vote under suspension
of the rules.
S. 4572, a Senate companion bill to H.R. 7589, was
introduced on June 18, 2024, by Senator Blackburn (for herself
and Senator Lujan) and was referred to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.
ESTIMATED COSTS
In accordance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate and section 403 of the
Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee provides the
following cost estimate, prepared by the Congressional Budget
Office:
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
S. 244 would require the Department of Commerce to study
the national security risks and cybersecurity vulnerabilities
posed by consumer routers, modems, and devices that combine a
modem and a router that are designed, manufactured, or supplied
by an organization owned or controlled by North Korea, China,
Russia, or Iran. The bill also would require the department to
report to the Congress on the results of the study.
Based on the cost of previous studies, CBO estimates it
would cost $1 million over the 2025-2030 period to research and
write the report. Any related spending would be subject to the
availability of appropriated funds.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Margot Berman.
The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy
Director of Budget Analysis.
Phillip L. Swagel,
Director, Congressional Budget Office.
REGULATORY IMPACT STATEMENT
Because S. 244 does not create any new programs, the
legislation will have no additional regulatory impact, and will
result in no additional reporting requirements. The legislation
will have no further effect on the number or types of
individuals and businesses regulated, the economic impact of
such regulation, the personal privacy of affected individuals,
or the paperwork required from such individuals and businesses.
CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING
In compliance with paragraph 4(b) of rule XLIV of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides that no
provisions contained in the bill, as reported, meet the
definition of congressionally directed spending items under the
rule.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS
Section 1. Short title.
This section would provide that the Act may be cited as the
``Removing Our Unsecure Technologies to Ensure Reliability and
Security Act'' or the ``ROUTERS Act''.
Section 2. Study of national security risks posed by certain routers
and modems.
Subsection (a) of this section would direct the Secretary
of Commerce to conduct a study of the national security risks
and cybersecurity vulnerabilities posed by consumer routers,
modems, and devices that combine a modem and router that are
designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied by persons owned
by, controlled by, or subject to the influence of the term
``covered country''.
Subsection (b) of this section would also require the
Secretary, no later than 1 year of enactment, to provide a
report on the results of this study to the Committee on Energy
and Commerce in the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.
Subsection (c) of this section would define the terms
``covered country'' as a country specified in 10 U.S.C.
4872(f)(2) and ``Secretary'' as the Secretary of Commerce, in
consultation with the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Communications and Information.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the
Standing Rules of the Senate, the Committee states that the
bill as reported would make no change to existing law.
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