Chairman Walden Announces Bipartisan Agreements on FCC Process Reform and Legislation to Improve Federal Spectrum Use

Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) announced that members of the subcommittee have reached bipartisan agreements on both the Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act and the Federal Spectrum Incentive Act. Both pieces of legislation are set to be considered at the full committee markup.

Chairman Walden and Subcommittee Ranking Member Anna Eshoo (D-CA) submitted an amendment in the nature of a substitute to the Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act (H.R. 3675). The amendment represents a bipartisan compromise that presents the FCC with a framework to bring additional transparency and predictability. It also contains some statutory provisions including changes to the sunshine rules and a permanent exception to the Antideficiency Act for the federal Universal Service Fund. “For the last three years this subcommittee has diligently worked to improve the transparency and predictability of FCC processes,” explained Rep Walden. The committee will also consider the Federal Spectrum Incentive Act (H.R. 3674), authored by Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Doris Matsui (D-CA), which creates a new path for government spectrum users to relinquish spectrum and receive a portion of net auction revenues instead of relocation costs.