HR1455-119

What This Bill Does

The ITS Codification Act makes the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences a statutory NTIA test center and primary executive-branch laboratory for spectrum research. Congress finds that the NTIA test center represents executive agencies before the FCC on spectrum issues, performs engineering studies needed for commercial spectrum access, and helps determine when federal spectrum can be cleared or shared. The bill directs the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to operate ITS and makes ITS responsible for studying radio-frequency emissions, determining propagation characteristics, testing technologies that enhance spectrum sharing between federal and non-federal users, improving interference tolerance of federal systems, promoting access to federal spectrum by non-federal users, and conducting other assigned activities. It allows the Assistant Secretary to delegate NTIA functions to ITS and use Stevenson-Wydler, Economy Act, patent licensing, NTIA, and other agreement authorities. It also requires ITS to establish an initiative to support emergency communication and tracking technologies for locating trapped individuals in confined or shielded spaces such as underground mines, high-rise buildings, and collapsed structures, in partnership with private entities and federal agencies. Within 18 months, the Assistant Secretary must report to Congress on a needs assessment, technical specifications, and conformance architecture for those emergency technologies.

Who Benefits and How

NTIA, Institute for Telecommunication Sciences staff, federal spectrum users, FCC spectrum policymakers, commercial wireless providers, telecommunications companies seeking federal-spectrum access, emergency responders, mine-safety teams, urban search-and-rescue teams, emergency communication technology manufacturers, spectrum-sharing technology developers, and private research partners benefit from a permanent federal lab mandate and clearer authority for testing, agreements, and emergency-location technology work. The emergency initiative can help develop communications and tracking tools where ordinary radio signals fail.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, NTIA leadership, ITS laboratory staff, federal agencies using spectrum, private-sector research partners, telecommunications equipment manufacturers, emergency technology vendors, mining-safety stakeholders, federal report writers, and congressional commerce committees must operate the codified lab, manage delegated authorities, negotiate research agreements, perform spectrum and emergency communications testing, and deliver the 18-month report.

Key Provisions

• Establishes ITS as the NTIA test center and primary executive-branch spectrum laboratory.
• Authorizes ITS to study emissions, propagation, interference, spectrum-sharing technology, federal-system interference tolerance, and non-federal access to federal spectrum.
• Allows the Assistant Secretary to delegate NTIA functions to ITS and use multiple technology-transfer and interagency agreement authorities.
• Defines federal spectrum as frequencies assigned on a primary basis to federal entities.
• Requires an emergency communication and tracking initiative for mines, high-rise buildings, collapsed structures, and other shielded environments.
• Requires an 18-month report on needs assessment, technical specifications, and conformance architecture.