Federal

Promoting United States Wireless Leadership Act of 2023

Source: Congress.gov · 983 words in original text

What This Bill Does

This bill directs the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to increase U.S. involvement and leadership in international groups that set standards for 5G wireless networks and future wireless technology. The bill aims to boost U.S. representation among companies and organizations that participate in these standard-setting bodies.

Who It Affects

The Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. companies and organizations involved in wireless communications, international standard-setting bodies including the International Organization for Standardization and the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, and companies or stakeholders determined to pose national security threats.

Key Provisions

• The Assistant Secretary must fairly encourage participation by companies and various stakeholders in standards-setting bodies for 5G networks and future wireless communications networks, but may exclude any company or stakeholder the Assistant Secretary determines is "not trusted" (Sec. 2(a)(1)). • The Assistant Secretary must fairly offer technical expertise to companies and stakeholders in these standards-setting bodies to help them participate, excluding any determined to be "not trusted" (Sec. 2(a)(2)). • Within 60 days of this law taking effect, the Assistant Secretary must brief four Congressional committees about the strategy for carrying out these actions (Sec. 2(c)). • "Not trusted" means a company or stakeholder poses a threat to U.S. national security, as determined through specific executive branch decisions or Department of Commerce determinations (Sec. 2(d)(6)).

What Changes

If this becomes law, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce must actively work to increase U.S. participation in international wireless standards-setting organizations and provide technical support to American companies and groups involved in these bodies, while excluding entities deemed national security risks.

Important Definitions

• 5G network: A fifth-generation mobile network as described by 3GPP Release 15 or higher. • Communications network: Any system that lets users send information between points they choose, including cloud computing resources or systems to access cloud computing. • Not trusted: A company or stakeholder the Assistant Secretary determines poses a threat to U.S. national security based on specific executive branch determinations.

IIB 118TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 1377 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES DECEMBER 17 (legislative day, DECEMBER 16), 2024 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation AN ACT To direct the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Commu- nications and Information to take certain actions to en- hance the representation of the United States and pro- mote United States leadership in communications stand- ards-setting bodies, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:38 Dec 18, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1377.RFS H1377 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 2 HR 1377 RFS SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Promoting United 2 States Wireless Leadership Act of 2023’’. 3 SEC. 2. REPRESENTATION AND LEADERSHIP OF UNITED 4 STATES IN COMMUNICATIONS STANDARDS- 5 SETTING BODIES. 6 (a) IN GENERAL.—In order to enhance the represen- 7 tation of the United States and promote United States 8 leadership in standards-setting bodies that set standards 9 for 5G networks and for future generations of wireless 10 communications networks, the Assistant Secretary shall, 11 in consultation with the National Institute of Standards 12 and Technology— 13 (1) equitably encourage participation by compa- 14 nies and a wide variety of relevant stakeholders, but 15 not including any company or relevant stakeholder 16 that the Assistant Secretary has determined to be 17 not trusted, (to the extent such standards-setting 18 bodies allow such stakeholders to participate) in 19 such standards-setting bodies; and 20 (2) equitably offer technical expertise to compa- 21 nies and a wide variety of relevant stakeholders, but 22 not including any company or relevant stakeholder 23 that the Assistant Secretary has determined to be 24 not trusted, (to the extent such standards-setting 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:38 Dec 18, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1377.RFS H1377 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 3 HR 1377 RFS bodies allow such stakeholders to participate) to fa- 1 cilitate such participation. 2 (b) STANDARDS-SETTING BODIES.—The standards- 3 setting bodies referred to in subsection (a) include— 4 (1) the International Organization for Stand- 5 ardization; 6 (2) the voluntary standards-setting bodies that 7 develop protocols for wireless devices and other 8 equipment, such as the 3GPP and the Institute of 9 Electrical and Electronics Engineers; and 10 (3) any standards-setting body accredited by 11 the American National Standards Institute or Alli- 12 ance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions. 13 (c) BRIEFING.—Not later than 60 days after the date 14 of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall 15 brief the Committees on Energy and Commerce and For- 16 eign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Com- 17 mittees on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and 18 Foreign Relations of the Senate on a strategy to carry 19 out subsection (a). 20 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 21 (1) 3GPP.—The term ‘‘3GPP’’ means the 3rd 22 Generation Partnership Project. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:38 Dec 18, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1377.RFS H1377 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 4 HR 1377 RFS (2) 5G NETWORK.—The term ‘‘5G network’’ 1 means a fifth-generation mobile network as de- 2 scribed by 3GPP Release 15 or higher. 3 (3) ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Assist- 4 ant Secretary’’ means the Assistant Secretary of 5 Commerce for Communications and Information. 6 (4) CLOUD COMPUTING.—The term ‘‘cloud 7 computing’’ has the meaning given the term in Spe- 8 cial Publication 800–145 of the National Institute of 9 Standards and Technology, entitled ‘‘The NIST Def- 10 inition of Cloud Computing’’, published in Sep- 11 tember 2011, or any successor publication. 12 (5) COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK.—The term 13 ‘‘communications network’’ means any of the fol- 14 lowing: 15 (A) A system enabling the transmission, 16 between or among points specified by the user, 17 of information of the user’s choosing. 18 (B) Cloud computing resources. 19 (C) A network or system used to access 20 cloud computing resources. 21 (6) NOT TRUSTED.—The term ‘‘not trusted’’ 22 means, with respect to a company or stakeholder, 23 that the company or stakeholder is determined by 24 the Assistant Secretary to pose a threat to the na- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:38 Dec 18, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1377.RFS H1377 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 5 HR 1377 RFS tional security of the United States. In making such 1 a determination, the Assistant Secretary shall rely 2 solely on one or more of the following determina- 3 tions: 4 (A) A specific determination made by any 5 executive branch interagency body with appro- 6 priate national security expertise, including the 7 Federal Acquisition Security Council estab- 8 lished under section 1322(a) of title 41, United 9 States Code. 10 (B) A specific determination made by the 11 Department of Commerce pursuant to Execu- 12 tive Order No. 13873 (84 Fed. Reg. 22689; re- 13 lating to securing the information and commu- 14 nications technology and services supply chain). 15 (C) Whether a company or stakeholder 16 produces or provides covered telecommuni- 17 cations equipment or services, as defined in sec- 18 tion 889(f)(3) of the John S. McCain National 19 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:38 Dec 18, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1377.RFS H1377 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS 6 HR 1377 RFS Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 1 (Public Law 115–232; 132 Stat. 1918). 2 Passed the House of Representatives December 16, 2024. Attest: KEVIN F. MCCUMBER, Clerk. VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:38 Dec 18, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1377.RFS H1377 ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS

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