Senators Heller and Schatz Bipartisan Bill on FCC Passes Senate Unanimously

Press Release

Recently, legislation U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) introduced, "the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Consolidated Reporting Act of 2015," S. 253, unanimously passed the U.S. Senate. The legislation was cosponsored by Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI).

"I am proud to see this legislation pass the Senate after working to come to a consensus and am hopeful the House of Representatives will pass our bipartisan Senate bill. A centralized and consolidated report from the FCC will ensure Members are provided key information every Congress on competition in voice, video, and data delivery, while also eliminating outdated reports. We simply cannot move on a broad telecommunications rewrite without a clear picture of where the market is working and where potential failures exist, which this report will provide," said Senator Heller.

Senator Heller continued, "Ultimately, it is good government bills like S. 253 that will create government efficiency and ensure Congress is better informed and equipped to enact policies increasing competition and empowering consumers. I would also like to thank my colleague, Senator Schatz, for his effort on this legislation, as well as Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Thune and Ranking Member Nelson for their work on this bill in Committee."

"This is an important step in our efforts to support the FCC's ongoing work," said Senator Schatz. "Consolidated reporting will help streamline some FCC reporting requirements and saves resources while ensuring transparency - which helps us protect consumers and gauge the competitive telecom landscape. More broadly this bill also shows that with every Member's active involvement and with Chairman Thune and Ranking Member Nelson's leadership the Committee can find other opportunities to reach consensus on a range of important issues before it this Congress."

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