Senate Unanimously Passes Secure Equipment Act of 2021

The US Senate unanimously passed the Secure Equipment Act of 2021 (H.R.3919), introduced in June by Reps Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Steve Scalise (R-LA), that would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from reviewing or issuing new equipment licenses to companies on the FCC’s “Covered Equipment or Services List” that pose a national security threat.  The Secure Equipment Act would prevent equipment manufactured by Chinese state-backed firms such as Huawei, ZTE, Hytera, Hikvision and Dahua from being further utilized and marketed in the United States. This legislation adds an extra layer of security that slams the door on entities that pose a national security risk from having a presence in the US telecommunications network. The legislation now heads to President Biden's desk for him to sign into law.