CBO Scores Internet of Things Bill

S. 2607 would direct the Department of Commerce (DOC) to convene a working group of various federal agency representatives and a steering committee of private stakeholders to produce reports and recommendations to the Congress to improve intragovernmental coordination and to encourage the development of the Internet of things. (The Internet of things refers to the growing number of devices that connect to the Internet and interact with one another.) It also would direct the Federal Communications Commission to prepare a report assessing the need for spectrum to support such development.

On the basis of information from DOC and the Federal Trade Commission, CBO estimates that implementing S. 2607 would require about a dozen employees and would cost $3 million to convene the working group and to develop the reports required under the bill. Those costs would be spread among the federal agencies that would be a part of the working group and such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting S. 2607 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. CBO estimates that enacting S. 2607 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027. S. 2607 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments.