[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1343 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
<DOC>
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 Communications and Information
to establish an initiative to support the development of emergency
communication and tracking technologies, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Institute for Telecommunication
Sciences Codification Act'' or the ``ITS Codification Act''.
SEC. 2. INSTITUTE FOR TELECOMMUNICATION SCIENCES.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) The test center within the National Telecommunications
and Information Administration (in this subsection referred to
as the ``NTIA'') represents executive branch agencies on
spectrum issues before the Federal Communications Commission.
(2) Understanding radio frequency propagation
characteristics and modeling is a critical component of making
spectrum decisions.
(3) Federal agencies rely on expert engineering studies,
simulations, and analyses to make determinations about how to
make spectrum available for commercial use, including through
system relocations and identifying spectrum sharing
opportunities through the NTIA.
(4) Clearing of Federal spectrum, when feasible, is the
priority action to take to make Federal spectrum available for
commercial uses as required by section 113(j)(1) of the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 923(j)(1)).
(5) Sharing of Federal spectrum between Federal entities
and commercial entities provides access to Federal spectrum for
commercial uses in circumstances where clearing is not
feasible.
(6) The test center within the NTIA is the Government's
premier expert laboratory for spectrum research activities,
spectrum sharing innovation and testing, spectrum interference
studies, and all activities related to advancing next
generation wireless technologies.
(7) The test center within the NTIA is critical for
undertaking engineering studies and analyses that inform
clearing or sharing opportunities and facilitate policy
decisions to maximize the efficient use of spectrum resources.
(b) Operation of Test Center.--Part A of the National
Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act (47
U.S.C. 901 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 106. INSTITUTE FOR TELECOMMUNICATION SCIENCES.
``(a) Establishment.--
``(1) In general.--Under the authority provided to the
Assistant Secretary under section 103, the Assistant Secretary
shall operate a test center to be known as the Institute for
Telecommunication Sciences (in this section referred to as
`ITS').
``(2) Functions.--
``(A) In general.--In addition to any functions
delegated by the Assistant Secretary under subparagraph
(B), ITS shall serve as the primary laboratory for the
executive branch of the Federal Government to--
``(i) study radio frequency emissions,
including technologies and techniques to
control such emissions and interference caused
by such emissions;
``(ii) determine spectrum propagation
characteristics;
``(iii) conduct tests on technology that
enhances the sharing of electromagnetic
spectrum between Federal and non-Federal users;
``(iv) improve the interference tolerance
of Federal systems operating with, or using,
Federal spectrum;
``(v) promote activities relating to access
to Federal spectrum by non-Federal users and
the sharing of Federal spectrum between Federal
and non-Federal users; and
``(vi) conduct such other activities as
determined necessary by the Assistant
Secretary.
``(B) Additional functions.--The Assistant
Secretary may delegate to ITS any of the functions
assigned to the Assistant Secretary under section
103(b)(1).
``(3) Agreements and transactions.--In carrying out the
functions described in paragraph (2), the Assistant Secretary,
acting through the head of ITS, may enter into agreements as
provided under the following authorities:
``(A) Sections 11 and 12 of the Stevenson-Wydler
Technology Innovation Act of 1980.
``(B) Section 1535 of title 31, United States Code.
``(C) Sections 207 and 209 of title 35, United
States Code.
``(D) Section 103(b)(2) of this Act.
``(E) Section 113(g) of this Act.
``(F) The first undesignated section of Public Law
91-412.
``(G) As authorized in any other Federal statute.
``(4) Federal spectrum defined.--In this subsection, the
term `Federal spectrum' means frequencies assigned on a primary
basis to a Federal entity (as defined in section 113(l)).
``(b) Emergency Communication and Tracking Technologies
Initiative.--
``(1) Establishment.--The Assistant Secretary, acting
through the head of ITS, shall establish an initiative to
support the development of emergency communication and tracking
technologies for use in locating trapped individuals in
confined spaces, such as underground mines, and other shielded
environments, such as high-rise buildings or collapsed
structures, where conventional radio communication is limited.
``(2) Activities.--In order to carry out this subsection,
the Assistant Secretary, acting through the head of ITS, shall
work with private sector entities and the heads of appropriate
Federal agencies, to--
``(A) perform a needs assessment to identify and
evaluate the measurement, technical specifications, and
conformity assessment needs required to improve the
operation and reliability of such emergency
communication and tracking technologies; and
``(B) support the development of technical
specifications and conformance architecture to improve
the operation and reliability of such emergency
communication and tracking technologies.
``(3) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
the enactment of this section, the Assistant Secretary shall
submit to Congress, and make publicly available, a report on
the assessment performed under paragraph (2)(A).''.
Passed the House of Representatives April 25, 2023.
Attest:
CHERYL L. JOHNSON,
Clerk.