This bill makes sure the government is transparent when it decides to give radio frequency spectrum (the invisible airwaves that power wireless communications) to private companies through auctions or licenses. Right now, when the FCC wants to reallocate spectrum, they coordinate with the NTIA (which manages spectrum used by federal agencies like the military and weather services), but the public doesn't always know what that coordination looked like or if there were any concerns raised.

Under this bill, whenever the FCC proposes reallocating spectrum that could affect federal agencies, the NTIA must publicly file information about the process—including when they were notified, which federal agencies might be impacted, and what concerns those agencies raised. Then, when the FCC makes its final decision, they have to publish a summary explaining whether federal agencies objected and how those objections were handled. This gives citizens and businesses a clear window into how decisions that affect wireless services are actually made.

The bill also requires the FCC and NTIA to update their working agreement every few years to keep up with new technology and changing circumstances. Essentially, this is about making government coordination more visible and ensuring that federal agencies' needs (like military communications) are properly considered and documented when the government opens up spectrum for commercial use.

Spectrum Coordination Act

Balderson, Troy

Spectrum Coordination ActThis bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to document publicly their interagency coordination efforts with respect to certain spectrum reallocation actions potentially affecting federal spectrum users.&nbsp;Specifically, for any proposal by the FCC to reallocate radio frequency spectrum in a manner anticipated to result in an auction or licensing that may impact federal spectrum use, the NTIA must file certain information in the public docket for the action during the public comment period. Specifically, this filing must include (1) the date on which the FCC notified the NTIA of the proposed action; (2) any federal entities that may be affected by the proposal; (3) the date on which the NTIA notified those entities of the proposal; and (4) a summary of any technical, procedural, or policy concerns of potentially affected federal entities or the NTIA.&nbsp;In the event that the FCC promulgates a final rule involving such a spectrum action, the FCC must publish in the Federal Register along with the final rule an interagency coordination summary describing (1) the date on which the FCC notified the NTIA of the action; and (2) whether the NTIA or any potentially affected federal entity raised concerns regarding the action and, if so, how they were addressed.&nbsp;Separately, the FCC and the NTIA must update the Memorandum of Understanding between them within three years of the bill’s enactment and periodically thereafter. Updates must reflect changing technological, procedural, and policy circumstances.