Communications Security Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1717 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1717

To direct the Federal Communications Commission to establish a council
to make recommendations on ways to increase the security, reliability,
    and interoperability of communications networks, and for other
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 27, 2025

 Mr. Menendez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To direct the Federal Communications Commission to establish a council
to make recommendations on ways to increase the security, reliability,
    and interoperability of communications networks, and for other
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Communications Security Act''.

SEC. 2. COUNCIL ON COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY, RELIABILITY, AND
              INTEROPERABILITY.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall--
            (1) establish a council to advise the Commission on issues
        including the security, reliability, and interoperability of
        communications networks; or
            (2) designate for purposes of this section an advisory
        committee of the Commission that is operating on the date of
        the enactment of this Act under a charter for the purpose of
        addressing the issues described in paragraph (1) and, if the
        membership of such committee does not comply with subsection
        (b), modify such membership to comply with such subsection.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Appointment.--The members of the council shall be
        appointed by the Chair.
            (2) Composition.--To the extent practicable, the membership
        of the council shall be composed of the following:
                    (A) Representatives of companies in the
                communications industry, except companies that are
                determined by the Chair to be not trusted.
                    (B) Representatives of public interest
                organizations or academic institutions, except public
                interest organizations or academic institutions that
                are determined by the Chair to be not trusted.
                    (C) Representatives of the Federal Government,
                State governments, local governments, or Tribal
                Governments, with at least one member representing each
                such type of government.
            (3) Knowledge and experience.--Each member of the council
        shall have knowledge and experience relevant to the purpose and
        goals of the council.
            (4) Terms.--
                    (A) In general.--Each member of the council shall
                be appointed for a term of 2 years, except as provided
                in subparagraph (B).
                    (B) Vacancies.--Any member appointed to fill a
                vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for
                which the member's predecessor was appointed shall be
                appointed only for the remainder of that term. A member
                may serve after the expiration of that member's term
                until a successor has taken office.
    (c) Reports.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date on
        which the council is established or designated (as the case may
        be) under subsection (a), and every 2 years thereafter, the
        council shall submit to the Chair each report adopted by the
        council during the preceding 2-year period, and any report
        adopted by any working group of the council during such period,
        including any such report of the council or a working group
        containing recommendations on ways to increase the security,
        reliability, and interoperability of communications networks,
        and on other relevant issues as appropriate.
            (2) Availability on commission website.--The Commission
        shall make each report submitted under paragraph (1) publicly
        available on the website of the Commission.
    (d) Duration.--Section 1013(a)(2) of title 5, United States Code
(relating to the termination of advisory committees) shall not apply to
the council.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Chair.--The term ``Chair'' means the Chair of the
        Commission.
            (2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal
        Communications Commission.
            (3) Council.--The term ``council'' means the council
        established under subsection (a)(1) or the advisory committee
        designated under subsection (a)(2), as the case may be.
            (4) Not trusted.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``not trusted'' means,
                with respect to an entity, that--
                            (i) the Chair has made a public
                        determination that such entity is owned by,
                        controlled by, or subject to the influence of a
                        foreign adversary; or
                            (ii) the Chair otherwise determines that
                        such entity poses a threat to the national
                        security of the United States.
                    (B) Criteria for determination.--In making a
                determination under subparagraph (A)(ii), the Chair
                shall use the criteria described in paragraphs (1)
                through (4) of section 2(c) of the Secure and Trusted
                Communications Networks Act of 2019 (47 U.S.C.
                1601(c)), as appropriate.
            (5) State.--The term ``State'' has the meaning given such
        term in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C.
        153).
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