HR906-119

What This Bill Does

The Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act requires the FCC to make foreign-adversary-linked communications ownership more visible. Within 120 days, the FCC must publish on its website a list of entities holding certain FCC licenses, including spectrum licenses under Communications Act section 309(j) and cable landing licenses, when a covered entity either holds reportable equity or voting interests under FCC ownership rules or is determined by an appropriate national security agency to exert control. Within 18 months, the FCC must issue rules to obtain information identifying other FCC authorization holders with covered-entity equity or voting interests. Within one year after those rules are issued, the FCC must add those entities to the public list. The FCC must update the list at least annually, and the bill says the information collection does not count as a Paperwork Reduction Act collection.

Who Benefits and How

U.S. telecommunications customers benefit from more transparency about FCC-authorized companies tied to covered-country governments or entities. National security agencies benefit because their control determinations can place entities on the public FCC list even when equity or voting ownership is not the only issue. Congress and public-interest watchdogs benefit from an annual public list for oversight of foreign influence in communications infrastructure. Domestic telecommunications competitors benefit if public disclosure highlights covered-country ownership or control in rival licensees. The FCC benefits from explicit statutory authority to gather ownership information for a broader set of authorizations.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Federal Communications Commission must publish the initial list within 120 days, write information-collection rules within 18 months, add newly identified entities within one year after the rules, and update the list annually. FCC licensees with covered-country ownership or control face public identification on the list. FCC authorization holders outside the initial license categories must provide ownership information under the new rules. Covered-country governments, covered-country companies, and covered-country subsidiaries face greater scrutiny when they hold reportable interests or exert control over FCC-authorized entities.

Key Provisions

• Requires the FCC to publish a public list within 120 days of covered foreign-linked holders of specified FCC licenses.
• Covers FCC spectrum licenses and cable landing licenses when covered entities hold reportable interests or exert control.
• Requires FCC rules within 18 months to identify other authorization holders with covered-entity ownership interests.
• Requires newly identified authorization holders to be added to the list within one year after the rules are issued.
• Requires the FCC to update the public list at least annually.
• Exempts the implementing information collection from Paperwork Reduction Act treatment.
• Defines covered entities to include covered-country governments, covered-country organized entities, and subsidiaries of those entities.