This bill requires the government to figure out how much its radio spectrum is worth and keep track of it like any other valuable asset. Right now, federal agencies use different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum (the invisible waves that carry cell phone signals, radio broadcasts, and wireless communications) but don't formally account for their value in their budgets. This bill changes that by having the National Telecommunications and Information Administration—the agency that manages spectrum—regularly estimate what each piece of spectrum is worth. Then, every federal agency that uses spectrum has to report that estimated value in their annual budget documents, just like they would report the value of buildings or equipment they own. Essentially, this makes spectrum visible as a government asset that has real monetary value, which could help agencies better understand what resources they're actually using and potentially lead to more efficient use of this limited and valuable resource.

Government Spectrum Valuation Act

Lee, Mike

Government Spectrum Valuation Act This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to periodically estimate the value of specified electromagnetic spectrum that is allocated to federal agencies.Each federal agency that is assigned or allocated a portion of that spectrum must include the most recent estimated value of its spectrum, as determined by NTIA,&nbsp;in its annual budget and financial statements.