FCC Reorganization Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to organize its staff into integrated bureaus based on the purposes of the regulations to be administered by such bureau.
Requires the following bureaus within the FCC: (1) spectrum management; (2) government affairs and consumer education; (3) economic regulations; (4) public interest; (5) broadcast content; (6) licensing; (7) enforcement; and (8) international. Directs the FCC, at least once every five years, to reexamine such organization and carry out any necessary reorganization.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2982 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2982
To require the Federal Communications Commission to reorganize the
bureaus of the Commission in order to better carry out their regulatory
functions.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 17, 2005
Mr. Wynn introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Federal Communications Commission to reorganize the
bureaus of the Commission in order to better carry out their regulatory
functions.
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 ``FCC Reorganization Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) The Communications Act of 1934 grants the Federal
Communications Commission permission to organize ``integrated
bureaus'' and ``other divisional organizations'' for the
purpose of assisting the Commission in its principal workload.
(2) The Federal Communications Commission originally
created and organized its bureaus at a time when individual
companies offered single, discreet telecommunications services.
(3) New communications technologies enable a single company
to offer a variety of services (such as cable companies
offering video, voice, and data).
(4) The organization of the Federal Communications
Commission's bureaus based on the type of technology is an
obsolete model and is no longer relevant since new technologies
provide multiple services.
SEC. 3. REGULATORY FUNCTION AND STRUCTURE OF THE FCC.
Subsection (b) of section 5 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47
U.S.C. 155(b)) is amended to read as follows:
``(b) Staff Organization.--
``(1) Authority to organize.--The Commission shall--
``(A) except as provided in paragraph (3),
establish and maintain the bureaus required by
paragraph (2); and
``(B) organize the remainder of its staff into--
``(i) integrated bureaus based on the
purposes of the regulation to be administered
by such bureau; and
``(ii) such other divisional organizations
as the Commission may deem necessary.
``(2) Required divisions.--Except as provided in paragraph
(3), the Commission shall establish and maintain the following
bureaus and divisions:
``(A) Spectrum management bureau.--A Spectrum
Management Bureau with responsibility for all issues
relating to electromagnetic spectrum, including
spectrum allocation, spectrum interference regulations,
unlicensed user regulations, and other general spectrum
regulations.
``(B) Government affairs and consumer education
bureau.--A Government Affairs and Consumer Education
Bureau with responsibility for all issues relating to
government relations and consumer education including
consumer affairs and outreach, consumer inquiries and
complaints, information access and privacy, policy,
reference information center, and consumer
publications.
``(C) Economic regulations bureau.--An Economic
Regulation Bureau with responsibility for all issues
relating to economic regulations, including
intercarrier compensation, pricing regulations, and
media ownership regulations, and the Universal Service
Fund/E-rate program.
``(D) Public interest bureau.--A Public Interest
Bureau with responsibility for all issues relating to
public interest programs, such as Disabled Services, E-
911 regulations, and requirements under the
Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act.
``(E) Broadcast content bureau.--A Broadcast
Content Bureau with responsibility for all issues
relating to broadcast content, including broadcast
decency and child-friendly television.
``(F) Licensing bureau.--A Licensing Bureau with
responsibility for all issues relating to licensing,
including spectrum auctions and license renewal
``(G) Enforcement bureau.--An Enforcement Bureau
with the same responsibilities such Bureau had on the
date of enactment of the FCC Reorganization Act.
``(H) International bureau.--An International
Bureau with the same responsibilities such Bureau had
on the date of enactment of the FCC Reorganization Act.
``(3) Periodic re-examination.--The Commission shall, at
least once after each 5-year interval after the date of
enactment of the FCC Reorganization Act--
``(A) re-examine the organization of the bureaus
established under subparagraph (A) and (B)(i) of
paragraph (1) to determine whether such organization
continues to meet the requirements and needs of the
Commission; and
``(B) carry out any reorganization that the
Commission determines to be necessary to meet the
requirements and needs of the Commission.
``(4) Bureau staffing.--Each bureau established under
subparagraph (A) and (B)(i) of paragraph (1) shall include such
legal, engineering, accounting, administrative, clerical, and
other personnel as the Commission may determine to be necessary
to perform its functions.''.
SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE; TRANSITION.
The amendment made by section 3 is effective 18 months after the
date of enactment of this Act, except that the Federal Communications
Commission is authorized and required to take actions to begin
implementation of, and compliance with, such amendment on such date of
enactment.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.
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