A bill to require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to audit Federal spectrum.
The bill would require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information (the head of the NTIA) to conduct a comprehensive audit of all electromagnetic spectrum assigned or allocated to federal entities and to report the findings to Congress within 18 months of enactment. The audit would produce a detailed, band-by-band accounting that covers who uses each spectrum band, the purposes and amount of use, the geographic areas where it is allocated, whether the band is used exclusively or shared with other entities, and any portions that are not in use. The report would be unclassified but could include a classified annex, and it must be coordinated with the Department of Transportation to avoid duplicating another spectrum audit mandated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The overall goal is to increase transparency about federal spectrum use and potentially inform future efficiency improvements or reallocation decisions.
Key Points
- 1Mandates an audit by the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information of all spectrum assigned or allocated to federal entities as of the audit date.
- 2Requires a detailed, band-by-band report including: uses and purposes; amount of spectrum used for each purpose; geographic area of allocation; whether the band is exclusive or shared; and any unused spectrum.
- 3The audit results must be reported to Congress within 18 months of enactment and made available to each Member of Congress upon request; the report may include a classified annex.
- 4Coordination with the Department of Transportation is required to ensure the audit does not duplicate the DOT-led spectrum audit required by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), avoiding overlap.
- 5The report must be submitted in unclassified form, with the possibility of a classified annex for sensitive information.