To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure that security is taken into account in certain efforts related to the interconnectivity of telecommunications networks, and for other purposes.

Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to expand the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) coordination of interconnectivity among telecommunications networks to include: (1) assistance in the development of essential information security technologies and capabilities for protecting telecommunications networks, (2) efforts to mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities, and (3) support of nationwide awareness and outreach efforts to educate the public about ways to mitigate threats to network security.

Directs the FCC to include network security considerations in its procedures for overseeing coordinated network planning of telecommunications carriers and providers.

[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6551 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6551

  To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure that security is 
taken into account in certain efforts related to the interconnectivity 
        of telecommunications networks, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 21, 2012

 Mr. Sullivan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure that security is 
taken into account in certain efforts related to the interconnectivity 
        of telecommunications networks, 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. SECURITY CONSIDERATIONS IN CERTAIN TELECOMMUNICATIONS 
              NETWORK INTERCONNECTIVITY EFFORTS.

    Section 256 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 256) is 
amended--
            (1) by striking ``used to provide telecommunications 
        service'' each place it appears;
            (2) by striking ``providers of telecommunications service'' 
        each place it appears and inserting ``providers of 
        telecommunications'';
            (3) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ``; and'' and 
                inserting a semicolon;
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting a semicolon; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) to assist in fostering the development of essential 
        information security technologies and capabilities for 
        protecting telecommunications networks, including comprehensive 
        protective capabilities and other technological solutions;
            ``(4) to assist in efforts to mitigate supply chain 
        vulnerabilities in telecommunications networks; and
            ``(5) to support nationwide awareness of and outreach 
        efforts to educate the public about--
                    ``(A) threats to the security of telecommunications 
                networks; and
                    ``(B) ways to mitigate such threats.''; and
            (4) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting ``, including the 
        security of such networks'' before the semicolon.
                                 <all>