HR1717-119

What This Bill Does

The Communications Security Act directs the Federal Communications Commission to create or designate a council on communications network security, reliability, and interoperability within 90 days. The FCC may either establish a new council or use an existing advisory committee with a relevant charter, but it must modify membership if needed. Members are appointed by the FCC Chair and, where practicable, must include communications industry companies, public-interest organizations, academic institutions, federal government representatives, state government representatives, local government representatives, and tribal government representatives. Companies, public-interest organizations, or academic institutions determined by the Chair to be not trusted are excluded. Not trusted means the Chair has publicly determined the entity is owned by, controlled by, or subject to influence by a foreign adversary, or otherwise determines the entity threatens U.S. national security using Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act criteria. Members serve two-year terms, vacancy appointments complete the remaining term, and members may serve until successors take office. Every two years, the council must submit adopted council and working-group reports, including recommendations to improve communications-network security, reliability, and interoperability, and the FCC must publish each report on its website. The normal title 5 termination rule for advisory committees does not apply to this council.

Who Benefits and How

Domestic telecommunications companies, trusted network equipment providers, communications network operators, public-interest organizations, academic cybersecurity researchers, federal emergency-communications officials, state communications officials, local emergency managers, tribal government communications offices, FCC public-safety staff, and consumers relying on reliable networks benefit from a standing advisory process focused on secure, interoperable, resilient communications networks and public recommendations.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Federal Communications Commission, FCC Chair staff, FCC advisory-committee administrators, communications industry representatives, public-interest organizations, academic institutions, federal government representatives, state government representatives, local government representatives, tribal government representatives, working-group members, and excluded foreign-adversary-influenced telecom entities must manage appointments, trust determinations, biennial reports, public posting, membership compliance, and loss of advisory access for not-trusted entities.

Key Provisions

• Requires the FCC within 90 days to establish or designate a communications security, reliability, and interoperability council.
• Requires membership from communications companies, public-interest organizations, academic institutions, and federal, state, local, and tribal governments where practicable.
• Excludes companies, public-interest organizations, and academic institutions the FCC Chair determines are not trusted.
• Requires biennial council and working-group reports with recommendations and public FCC website posting.
• Exempts the council from the normal advisory-committee termination rule.