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]
[S. 259 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 259

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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) 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.
    (b) Publication of List.--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).
    (c) 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 (b)(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 (b).
    (d) 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'').
    (e) Annual Updates.--The Commission shall, not less frequently than 
annually, update the list published under subsection (b), including 
with respect to any entity required to be placed on such list by 
subsection (c)(2).

            Passed the Senate October 23, 2025.

            Attest:

                                                             Secretary.
119th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                 S. 259

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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.