Spectrum It Modernization Act of 2020
Floor Speech
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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7310) to require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to submit to Congress a plan for the modernization of the information technology systems of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 7310
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 ``Spectrum IT Modernization Act of 2020''. SEC. 2. MODERNIZATION EFFORT.
(a) Definitions.--In this section--
(1) the term ``Assistant Secretary'' means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information;
(2) the term ``covered agency''--
(A) means any Federal entity that the Assistant Secretary determines is appropriate; and
(B) includes the Department of Defense;
(3) the term ``Federal entity'' has the meaning given the term in section 113(l) of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 923(l));
(4) the term ``Federal spectrum'' means frequencies assigned on a primary basis to a covered agency;
(5) the term ``infrastructure'' means information technology systems and information technologies, tools, and databases; and
(6) the term ``NTIA'' means the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
(b) Initial Interagency Spectrum Information Technology Coordination.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary, in consultation with the Policy and Plans Steering Group, shall identify a process to establish goals, including parameters to measure the achievement of those goals, for the modernization of the infrastructure of covered agencies relating to managing the use of Federal spectrum by those agencies, which shall include--
(1) the standardization of data inputs, modeling algorithms, modeling and simulation processes, analysis tools with respect to Federal spectrum, assumptions, and any other tool to ensure interoperability and functionality with respect to that infrastructure;
(2) other potential innovative technological capabilities with respect to that infrastructure, including cloud-based databases, artificial intelligence technologies, automation, and improved modeling and simulation capabilities;
(3) ways to improve the management of covered agencies' use of Federal spectrum through that infrastructure, including by--
(A) increasing the efficiency of that infrastructure;
(B) addressing validation of usage with respect to that infrastructure;
(C) increasing the accuracy of that infrastructure;
(D) validating models used by that infrastructure; and
(E) monitoring and enforcing requirements that are imposed on covered agencies with respect to the use of Federal spectrum by covered agencies;
(4) ways to improve the ability of covered agencies to meet mission requirements in congested environments with respect to Federal spectrum, including as part of automated adjustments to operations based on changing conditions in those environments;
(5) the creation of a time-based automated mechanism--
(A) to share Federal spectrum between covered agencies to collaboratively and dynamically increase access to Federal spectrum by those agencies; and
(B) that could be scaled across Federal spectrum; and
(6) the collaboration between covered agencies necessary to ensure the interoperability of Federal spectrum.
(c) Spectrum Information Technology Modernization.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 240 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that contains the plan of the NTIA to modernize and automate the infrastructure of the NTIA relating to managing the use of Federal spectrum by covered agencies so as to more efficiently manage that use.
(2) Contents.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall include--
(A) an assessment of the current, as of the date on which the report is submitted, infrastructure of the NTIA described in that paragraph;
(B) an acquisition strategy for the modernized infrastructure of the NTIA described in that paragraph, including how that modernized infrastructure will enable covered agencies to be more efficient and effective in the use of Federal spectrum;
(C) a timeline for the implementation of the modernization efforts described in that paragraph;
(D) plans detailing how the modernized infrastructure of the NTIA described in that paragraph will--
(i) enhance the security and reliability of that infrastructure so that such infrastructure satisfies the requirements of the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-296; 116 Stat. 2135);
(ii) improve data models and analysis tools to increase the efficiency of the spectrum use described in that paragraph;
(iii) enhance automation and workflows, and reduce the scope and level of manual effort, in order to--
(I) administer the management of the spectrum use described in that paragraph; and
(II) improve data quality and processing time; and
(iv) improve the timeliness of spectrum analyses and requests for information, including requests submitted pursuant to section 552 of title 5, United States Code;
(E) an operations and maintenance plan with respect to the modernized infrastructure of the NTIA described in that paragraph;
(F) a strategy for coordination between the covered agencies within the Policy and Plans Steering Group, which shall include--
(i) a description of--
(I) those coordination efforts, as in effect on the date on which the report is submitted; and
(II) a plan for coordination of those efforts after the date on which the report is submitted, including with respect to the efforts described in subsection (d);
(ii) a plan for standardizing--
(I) electromagnetic spectrum analysis tools;
(II) modeling and simulation processes and technologies; and
(III) databases to provide technical interference assessments that are usable across the Federal Government as part of a common spectrum management infrastructure for covered agencies;
(iii) a plan for each covered agency to implement a modernization plan described in subsection (d)(1) that is tailored to the particular timeline of the agency;
(G) identification of manually intensive processes involved in managing Federal spectrum and proposed enhancements to those processes;
(H) metrics to evaluate the success of the modernization efforts described in that paragraph and any similar future efforts; and
(I) an estimate of the cost of the modernization efforts described in that paragraph and any future maintenance with respect to the modernized infrastructure of the NTIA described in that paragraph, including the cost of any personnel and equipment relating to that maintenance.
(d) Interagency Inputs.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the head of each covered agency shall submit to the Assistant Secretary and the Policy and Plans Steering Group a report that describes the plan of the agency to modernize the infrastructure of the agency with respect to the use of Federal spectrum by the agency so that such modernized infrastructure of the agency is interoperable with the modernized infrastructure of the NTIA, as described in subsection (c).
(2) Contents.--Each report submitted by the head of a covered agency under paragraph (1) shall--
(A) include--
(i) an assessment of the current, as of the date on which the report is submitted, management capabilities of the agency with respect to the use of frequencies that are assigned to the agency, which shall include a description of any challenges faced by the agency with respect to that management;
(ii) a timeline for completion of the modernization efforts described in that paragraph;
(iii) a description of potential innovative technological capabilities for the management of frequencies that are assigned to the agency, as determined under subsection (b);
(iv) identification of agency-specific requirements or constraints relating to the infrastructure of the agency;
(v) identification of any existing, as of the date on which the report is submitted, systems of the agency that are duplicative of the modernized infrastructure of the NTIA, as proposed under subsection (c); and
(vi) with respect to the report submitted by the Secretary of Defense--
(I) a strategy for the integration of systems or the flow of data among the Armed Forces, the military departments, the Defense Agencies and Department of Defense Field Activities, and other components of the Department of Defense;
(II) a plan for the implementation of solutions to the use of Federal spectrum by the Department of Defense involving information at multiple levels of classification; and
(III) a strategy for addressing, within the modernized infrastructure of the Department of Defense described in that paragraph, the exchange of information between the Department of Defense and the NTIA in order to accomplish required processing of all Department of Defense domestic spectrum coordination and management activities; and
(B) be submitted in an unclassified format, with a classified annex, as appropriate.
(3) Notification of congress.--Upon submission of the report required under paragraph (1), the head of each covered agency shall notify Congress that the head of the covered agency has submitted the report.
(e) GAO Oversight.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall--
(1) not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, conduct a review of the infrastructure of covered agencies, as that infrastructure exists on the date of enactment of this Act;
(2) after all of the reports required under subsection (d) have been submitted, conduct oversight of the implementation of the modernization plans submitted by the NTIA and covered agencies under subsections (c) and (d), respectively;
(3) not later than 1 year after the date on which the Comptroller General begins conducting oversight under paragraph (2), and annually thereafter, submit a report regarding that oversight to--
(A) with respect to the implementation of the modernization plan of the Department of Defense, the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives; and
(B) with respect to the implementation of the modernization plans of all covered agencies, including the Department of Defense, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives; and
(4) provide regular briefings to--
(A) with respect to the application of this section to the Department of Defense, the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives; and
(B) with respect to the application of this section to all covered agencies, including the Department of Defense, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives.
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Mr. PALLONE. 7310.
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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7310, the Spectrum IT Modernization Act.
This country has an ever-increasing need for access to the Nation's airwaves, and that is as true for Federal agencies as it is for average Americans.
We use the airwaves for so many critical things: military radars, air traffic control, space communications, our cell phones, televisions, WiFi routers, Bluetooth speakers, and the list goes on. That is why we must do everything we can to ensure that we are making the best, most efficient use of our Federal airwaves.
H.R. 7310, the Spectrum IT Modernization Act, takes vital steps toward being more efficient with our airwaves by making sure that the Federal Government has the most up-to-date systems to manage its frequencies, sometimes called spectrum. This bill makes sure that those systems are compatible and interoperable between Federal agencies.
The Spectrum IT Modernization Act will also help to promote more efficient use of our Nation's airwaves by encouraging spectrum sharing and by updating our Federal spectrum management systems.
This bipartisan legislation was introduced by Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle and Ranking Member Bob Latta, as well as Representative Walberg and Representative Larsen from Washington.
More specifically, this bipartisan bill would require the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, or NTIA, in consultation with the Policy and Plans Steering Group, to identify a process to modernize our Federal spectrum management infrastructure. It would require the NTIA to examine ways to improve coordination between Federal agencies and improve the ability of those agencies to meet their mission requirements in congested spectrum environments--in other words, share spectrum.
It would require the NTIA to report back to us in less than a year's time to tell us what the plan is for updating and improving our Federal spectrum management, because this is something that needs to be done sooner rather than later.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation would also require the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct oversight of the implementation of the modernization plan submitted by the NTIA and report to Congress annually on that process.
By managing our Federal spectrum infrastructure and making it interoperable, Federal entities and the NTIA will be able to increase the efficiency of Federal spectrum use. This is a good thing for our country, and it is certainly important that we do it now.
So I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will join me in voting to pass this important bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Armed Services, Washington, DC, November 17, 2020. Hon. Frank Pallone, Jr., Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Pallone: I write concerning H.R. 7310, the Spectrum IT Modernization Act of 2020. As a result of your having consulted with us on provisions within H.R. 7310 that fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on Armed Services, I forego any further consideration of this bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor for consideration.
The Committee on Armed Services takes this action with our mutual understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 7310 at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over subject matter contained in this or similar legislation and that our committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as this bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may address any remaining issues in our jurisdiction.
Finally, I ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be included in the bill report filed by the Energy and Commerce Committee, as well as in the Congressional Record during floor consideration, to memorialize our understanding. Thank you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this matter and others between our respective committees. Sincerely, Adam Smith, Chairman. ____ House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC, November 17, 2020. Hon. Adam Smith, Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Smith: Thank you for consulting with the Committee on Energy and Commerce and agreeing to be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 7310, the Spectrum IT Modernization Act of 2020, so that the bill may proceed expeditiously to the House floor.
I agree that your forgoing further action on this measure does not in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of your committee or prejudice its jurisdictional prerogatives on this measure or similar legislation in the future. I would support your effort to seek appointment of an appropriate number of conferees from your committee to any House-Senate conference on this legislation.
I will seek to place our letters on H.R. 7310 into the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the bill. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward to continuing to work together as this measure moves through the legislative process. Sincerely, Frank Pallone, Jr., Chairman.
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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, so I urge support of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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