Bill Details
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This bill would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to post and keep updated a public online list of companies and other entities that hold certain FCC licenses or other approvals and that have ties to foreign governments or companies from countries the U.S. treats as security concerns. The goal is to make it easier to see which FCC-authorized entities may be owned by, controlled by, or connected to these foreign interests. The bill also tells the FCC to write new rules to gather information about other kinds of FCC authorizations so those entities can later be added to the same list.
- The FCC would have to publish the first list within 120 days after the bill becomes law.
- The list would include entities with certain FCC licenses, including some wireless licenses and cable landing licenses, if a covered foreign entity has a reportable ownership stake or if a national security agency says that foreign entity controls the company.
- Within 18 months, the FCC would need to create rules to collect information about other FCC authorizations, licenses, or grants of authority not already covered.
- The FCC would then add those newly identified entities to the public list within one year after the rules are issued, and update the list at least once a year after that.
Official Summaries
Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to annually publish a list of entities that hold a license or other authorization granted by the FCC and have ties to specified foreign countries.
With respect to entities holding cable landing licenses (for the placement and operation of submarine communications cables) or other licenses granted via competitive auction, the FCC must publish a list of all such entities (1) in which a covered entity holds a specified voting or equity interest, or (2) that have been determined by a national security agency to be subject to the control of a covered entity.
With respect to entities holding all other categories of FCC licenses or other authorizations, the FCC must first issue rules facilitating the collection of information on such licensees’ ownership structure. After that information is obtained, the FCC must add to the published list any such entity in which a covered entity holds a specified voting or equity interest.
Under the bill, a covered entity is defined as an entity organized in China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia; a subsidiary of such an entity; or the government of China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 906 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 906
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 29, 2025
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To direct the Federal Communications Commission to publish a list of
entities that hold authorizations, licenses, or other grants of
authority issued by the Commission and that have certain foreign
ownership, 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 ``Foreign Adversary Communications
Transparency Act''.
SEC. 2. LIST OF ENTITIES HOLDING FCC AUTHORIZATIONS, LICENSES, OR OTHER
GRANTS OF AUTHORITY AND HAVING CERTAIN FOREIGN OWNERSHIP.
(a) In General.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Commission shall publish on the internet
website of the Commission a list of each entity--
(1) that holds a license issued by the Commission pursuant
to--
(A) section 309(j) of the Communications Act of
1934 (47 U.S.C. 309(j)); or
(B) the Act of May 27, 1921 (47 U.S.C. 34 et seq.;
commonly known as the ``Cable Landing Licensing Act'')
and Executive Order 10530 (3 U.S.C. 301 note; relating
to the performance of certain functions vested in or
subject to the approval of the President); and
(2) with respect to which--
(A) a covered entity holds an equity or voting
interest that is required to be reported to the
Commission under the ownership rules of the Commission;
or
(B) an appropriate national security agency has
determined that a covered entity exerts control,
regardless of whether such covered entity holds an
equity or voting interest as described in subparagraph
(A).
(b) Rulemaking.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall issue rules to
obtain information to identify each entity--
(A) that holds any authorization, license, or other
grant of authority issued by the Commission (other than
a license described in subsection (a)(1)); and
(B) with respect to which a covered entity holds an
equity or voting interest that is required to be
reported to the Commission under the ownership rules of
the Commission.
(2) Placement on list.--Not later than 1 year after the
Commission issues the rules required by paragraph (1), the
Commission shall place each entity described in such paragraph
on the list published under subsection (a).
(c) Paperwork Reduction Act Exemption.--A collection of information
conducted or sponsored by the Commission to implement this section does
not constitute a collection of information for the purposes of
subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly
referred to as the ``Paperwork Reduction Act'').
(d) Annual Updates.--The Commission shall, not less frequently than
annually, update the list published under subsection (a), including
with respect to any entity required to be placed on such list by
subsection (b)(2).
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate national security agency.--The term
``appropriate national security agency'' has the meaning given
such term in section 9 of the Secure and Trusted Communications
Networks Act of 2019 (47 U.S.C. 1608).
(2) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal
Communications Commission.
(3) Covered country.--The term ``covered country'' means a
country specified in section 4872(f)(2) of title 10, United
States Code.
(4) Covered entity.--The term ``covered entity'' means--
(A) the government of a covered country;
(B) an entity organized under the laws of a covered
country; and
(C) a subsidiary of an entity described in
subparagraph (B), regardless of whether the subsidiary
is organized under the laws of a covered country.
Passed the House of Representatives April 28, 2025.
Attest:
KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,
Clerk.