FCC Announces Membership, Chair, and Vice-Chair for Intergovernmental Advisory Committee

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai announced the new members of the FCC’s Intergovernmental Advisory Committee and named Paul J. TenHaken, Mayor of Sioux Falls (SD) Chair of the IAC and Peter J. Larkin, Chairman of the Board of the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, as Vice-Chair. The IAC is comprised of elected and appointed officials of municipal, county, state, and Tribal governments and provides guidance, expertise, and recommendations to the FCC on a range of telecommunication issues for which local, state, and Tribal governments explicitly or inherently share responsibility or administration with the FCC. The IAC consists of thirty members (or their designated employees), with a minimum of four elected municipal officials (city mayors and city council members); two elected county officials (county commissioners or council members); one elected or appointed local government attorney; one elected state executive (governor or lieutenant governor); three elected state legislators; one elected or appointed public utilities or public service commissioner; and three elected or appointed Tribal representatives. During its two-year term, the IAC may be tasked by Chairman Pai to produce specific deliverables that will further the FCC's mission and objectives, which may include, but not be limited to, those related to increasing deployment and adoption of broadband services, strengthening public safety communications infrastructure and emergency response capabilities, and any other task necessary to help local, state, and Tribal government officials clarify or explain FCC rules and policies to their constituents and other members of the public. The Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA) within the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau is the Chairman’s designee to serve as liaison to the IAC and provide oversight of the committee.

The IAC is not subject to, and is not required to follow, the procedures set forth in the Federal Advisory Committee Act