What This Bill Does
This bill creates a formal government agency called the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences. It requires this institute to study radio signals and wireless technology. The bill also directs the institute to develop technologies that help locate people trapped in mines, buildings and other places where regular radio communication doesn't work well.
Who It Affects
Federal government agencies that work with radio frequencies and wireless communications. Private companies developing emergency communication technology. People trapped in confined or blocked spaces who need rescue.
Key Provisions
• The Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information shall operate a test center called the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences to study radio frequency emissions, interference and spectrum sharing between government and non-government users. (Sec. 106(a)(2)(A))
• The institute shall serve as the primary laboratory for the federal government to test technologies that allow sharing of radio frequencies (the electromagnetic spectrum) between federal and non-federal users. (Sec. 106(a)(2)(A)(iii))
• The Assistant Secretary must establish an initiative to develop emergency communication and tracking technologies for locating people trapped in confined spaces like underground mines, high-rise buildings and collapsed structures where normal radio communication is limited. (Sec. 106(b)(1))
• The Assistant Secretary must work with private companies and federal agencies to evaluate what is needed to improve these emergency communication and tracking technologies. (Sec. 106(b)(2)(A))
• The Assistant Secretary must submit a report to Congress on the assessment of emergency communication technology needs within 18 months of this law taking effect. (Sec. 106(b)(3))
What Changes
The test center that currently exists within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration becomes formally established as the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences with specific duties written into federal law. A new initiative focused on emergency rescue communication technology is created and must produce a report to Congress.
Important Definitions
Federal spectrum means radio frequencies assigned to a federal agency on a primary basis. (Sec. 106(a)(4))
Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
IIB
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1343
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
APRIL 26, 2023
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation
AN ACT
To codify the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences and
to direct the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Com-
munications and Information to establish an initiative
to support the development of emergency communication
and tracking technologies, and for other purposes.
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HR 1343 RFS
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Institute for Tele-
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communication Sciences Codification Act’’ or the ‘‘ITS
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Codification Act’’.
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SEC. 2. INSTITUTE FOR TELECOMMUNICATION SCIENCES.
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(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following:
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(1) The test center within the National Tele-
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communications and Information Administration (in
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this subsection referred to as the ‘‘NTIA’’) rep-
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resents executive branch agencies on spectrum issues
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before the Federal Communications Commission.
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(2) Understanding radio frequency propagation
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characteristics and modeling is a critical component
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of making spectrum decisions.
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(3) Federal agencies rely on expert engineering
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studies, simulations, and analyses to make deter-
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minations about how to make spectrum available for
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commercial use, including through system reloca-
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tions and identifying spectrum sharing opportunities
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through the NTIA.
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(4) Clearing of Federal spectrum, when fea-
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sible, is the priority action to take to make Federal
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spectrum available for commercial uses as required
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HR 1343 RFS
by section 113(j)(1) of the National Telecommuni-
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cations and Information Administration Organiza-
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tion Act (47 U.S.C. 923(j)(1)).
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(5) Sharing of Federal spectrum between Fed-
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eral entities and commercial entities provides access
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to Federal spectrum for commercial uses in cir-
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cumstances where clearing is not feasible.
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(6) The test center within the NTIA is the Gov-
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ernment’s premier expert laboratory for spectrum re-
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search activities, spectrum sharing innovation and
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testing, spectrum interference studies, and all activi-
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ties related to advancing next generation wireless
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technologies.
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(7) The test center within the NTIA is critical
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for undertaking engineering studies and analyses
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that inform clearing or sharing opportunities and fa-
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cilitate policy decisions to maximize the efficient use
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of spectrum resources.
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(b) OPERATION OF TEST CENTER.—Part A of the
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National Telecommunications and Information Adminis-
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tration Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 901 et seq.) is
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amended by adding at the end the following:
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‘‘SEC.
106.
INSTITUTE
FOR
TELECOMMUNICATION
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SCIENCES.
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‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—
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HR 1343 RFS
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Under the authority pro-
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vided to the Assistant Secretary under section 103,
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the Assistant Secretary shall operate a test center to
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be known as the Institute for Telecommunication
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Sciences (in this section referred to as ‘ITS’).
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‘‘(2) FUNCTIONS.—
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‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—In addition to any
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functions delegated by the Assistant Secretary
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under subparagraph (B), ITS shall serve as the
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primary laboratory for the executive branch of
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the Federal Government to—
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‘‘(i) study radio frequency emissions,
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including technologies and techniques to
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control such emissions and interference
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caused by such emissions;
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‘‘(ii) determine spectrum propagation
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characteristics;
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‘‘(iii) conduct tests on technology that
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enhances the sharing of electromagnetic
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spectrum between Federal and non-Federal
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users;
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‘‘(iv) improve the interference toler-
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ance of Federal systems operating with, or
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using, Federal spectrum;
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HR 1343 RFS
‘‘(v) promote activities relating to ac-
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cess to Federal spectrum by non-Federal
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users and the sharing of Federal spectrum
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between Federal and non-Federal users;
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and
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‘‘(vi) conduct such other activities as
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determined necessary by the Assistant Sec-
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retary.
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‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL
FUNCTIONS.—The As-
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sistant Secretary may delegate to ITS any of
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the functions assigned to the Assistant Sec-
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retary under section 103(b)(1).
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‘‘(3) AGREEMENTS
AND
TRANSACTIONS.—In
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carrying out the functions described in paragraph
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(2), the Assistant Secretary, acting through the head
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of ITS, may enter into agreements as provided
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under the following authorities:
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‘‘(A) Sections 11 and 12 of the Stevenson–
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Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980.
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‘‘(B) Section 1535 of title 31, United
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States Code.
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‘‘(C) Sections 207 and 209 of title 35,
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United States Code.
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‘‘(D) Section 103(b)(2) of this Act.
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‘‘(E) Section 113(g) of this Act.
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HR 1343 RFS
‘‘(F) The first undesignated section of
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Public Law 91–412.
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‘‘(G) As authorized in any other Federal
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statute.
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‘‘(4) FEDERAL SPECTRUM DEFINED.—In this
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subsection, the term ‘Federal spectrum’ means fre-
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quencies assigned on a primary basis to a Federal
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entity (as defined in section 113(l)).
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‘‘(b) EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION AND TRACKING
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TECHNOLOGIES INITIATIVE.—
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‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Assistant Sec-
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retary, acting through the head of ITS, shall estab-
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lish an initiative to support the development of
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emergency communication and tracking technologies
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for use in locating trapped individuals in confined
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spaces, such as underground mines, and other
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shielded environments, such as high-rise buildings or
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collapsed structures, where conventional radio com-
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munication is limited.
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‘‘(2) ACTIVITIES.—In order to carry out this
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subsection, the Assistant Secretary, acting through
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the head of ITS, shall work with private sector enti-
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ties and the heads of appropriate Federal agencies,
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to—
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HR 1343 RFS
‘‘(A) perform a needs assessment to iden-
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tify and evaluate the measurement, technical
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specifications, and conformity assessment needs
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required to improve the operation and reliability
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of such emergency communication and tracking
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technologies; and
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‘‘(B) support the development of technical
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specifications and conformance architecture to
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improve the operation and reliability of such
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emergency communication and tracking tech-
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nologies.
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‘‘(3) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after
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the date of the enactment of this section, the Assist-
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ant Secretary shall submit to Congress, and make
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publicly available, a report on the assessment per-
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formed under paragraph (2)(A).’’.
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Passed the House of Representatives April 25, 2023.
Attest:
CHERYL L. JOHNSON,
Clerk.
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