Utilizing Strategic Allied Telecommunications Act of 2020 or the USA Telecommunications Act
This bill establishes a program through which the Department of Commerce shall award grants to support the deployment and use of Open RAN 5G Networks throughout the United States.
Open RAN 5G Networks are networks that follow a set of open standards (such as O-RAN standards or the Open Radio Access Network approach to standardization) and open interfaces for multi-vendor network equipment interoperability.
Grants awarded under the program shall, among other things, (1) promote technology that will enhance competitiveness in the supply chains of Open RAN 5G Networks, (2) accelerate the deployment of Open Network Equipment, and (3) promote the inclusion of security features that enhance the integrity and availability of such equipment.
Commerce must also (1) establish the criteria for a grant award, (2) establish a committee that advises on technology developments to inform both the grant program and government efforts to support Open RAN 5G Network supply chains, and (3) report on the grant program and 5G network supply chains.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6624 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6624
To support supply chain innovation and multilateral security, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 24, 2020
Mr. Pallone (for himself, Mr. Guthrie, Ms. Matsui, and Mr. Walden)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To support supply chain innovation and multilateral security, 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 ``Utilizing Strategic Allied
Telecommunications Act of 2020'' or the ``USA Telecommunications Act''.
SEC. 2. WIRELESS SUPPLY CHAIN INNOVATION GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--From amounts made available under subsection (d),
the Assistant Secretary shall, beginning not later than 18 months after
the date of the enactment of this Act, make grants on a competitive
basis to support the deployment and use of Open RAN 5G Networks
throughout the United States by--
(1) promoting the use of technology, including software,
hardware, and microprocessing technology, that will enhance
competitiveness in the supply chains of Open RAN 5G Networks;
(2) accelerating the deployment of Open Network Equipment;
(3) promoting the use of Open Network Equipment;
(4) establishing objective criteria that can be used to
determine if equipment meets the definition of Open Network
Equipment;
(5) promoting the inclusion of security features that
enhance the integrity and availability of Open Network
Equipment; or
(6) promoting the application of network function
virtualization to facilitate the deployment of Open RAN 5G
Networks and a more diverse vendor market.
(b) Grant Criteria.--The Assistant Secretary, in consultation with
the Commission, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of the
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (commonly known as
``DARPA''), and the Director of the Intelligence Advanced Research
Projects Activity of the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence (commonly known as ``IARPA''), shall establish the
criteria under which the Assistant Secretary shall award a grant under
subsection (a).
(c) Reports to Congress.--
(1) Annual report on grants made.--For each fiscal year for
which amounts are available to make grants under subsection
(a), the Assistant Secretary shall submit to the relevant
committees of Congress a report that includes, with respect to
that fiscal year--
(A) a description of--
(i) to whom grants under subsection (a)
were made, the amount thereof, and criteria
used to award such grants; and
(ii) the progress the Assistant Secretary
has made in meeting the objectives described in
subsection (a) of the grant program under this
section; and
(B) any additional information that the Assistant
Secretary determines appropriate.
(2) Report on 5g network supply chain.--Not later than 180
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant
Secretary shall submit to the relevant committees of Congress a
written report--
(A) that includes recommendations on promoting the
competitiveness and sustainability of trusted Open RAN
5G Networks; and
(B) identifying whether any additional authorities
are needed by the Assistant Secretary to facilitate the
timely adoption of Open Network Equipment, including
the authority to provide loans, loan guarantees, and
other forms of credit extension that would maximize the
use of grant amounts awarded under this section.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) Amount authorized.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to make grants under subsection (a) $750,000,000
for fiscal years 2021 through 2031.
(2) Availability.--Amounts made available under paragraph
(1) shall remain available through fiscal year 2031.
SEC. 3. ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
(a) Establishment.--The Assistant Secretary shall establish an
Advisory Committee to advise the Assistant Secretary in the manner
described in subsection (c).
(b) Composition.--The Advisory Committee established under
subsection (a) shall be composed of--
(1) representatives from--
(A) the Commission;
(B) the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
(commonly known as ``DARPA'');
(C) the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects
Activity of the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence (commonly known as ``IARPA'');
(D) the National Institute of Standards and
Technology;
(E) the Department of State;
(F) the National Science Foundation; and
(G) the Department of Homeland Security; and
(2) other representatives from the private and public
sectors, at the discretion of the Assistant Secretary.
(c) Duties.--The Advisory Committee established under subsection
(a) shall be used to advise the Assistant Secretary on technology
developments to help inform--
(1) the strategic direction of the grant program
established under section 2; and
(2) efforts of the Federal Government to promote a more
secure, diverse, sustainable, and competitive supply chain for
Open RAN 5G Networks.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) 3gpp.--The term ``3GPP'' means the Third Generation
Partnership Project.
(2) 5g network.--The term ``5G network'' means a radio
network as described by 3GPP Release 15 or higher, or any
successor network.
(3) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary''
means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications
and Information.
(4) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal
Communications Commission.
(5) Open network equipment.--The term ``Open Network
Equipment'' means equipment that follows a set of open
standards (such as O-RAN standards or the Open Radio Access
Network approach to standardization, adopted by the O-RAN
Alliance, 3GPP, or other organization) and open interfaces for
multi-vendor network equipment interoperability, such that the
equipment may be integrated into the Radio Access Networks of
an Open RAN 5G Network.
(6) Open ran 5g network.--The term ``Open RAN 5G Network''
means a 5G network that follows a set of open standards (such
as O-RAN standards or the Open Radio Access Network approach to
standardization, adopted by the O-RAN Alliance, 3GPP, or other
organizations) and open interfaces for multi-vendor network
equipment interoperability.
(7) Relevant committees of congress.--The term ``relevant
committees of Congress'' means--
(A) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives;
(B) the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
of the House of Representatives;
(C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House
of Representatives;
(D) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House
of Representatives;
(E) the Committee on Armed Services of the House of
Representatives;
(F) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate;
(G) the Select Committee on Intelligence of the
Senate;
(H) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate;
(I) the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and
(J) the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 116-589.
Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 116-589.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 487.
Mr. Pallone moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5823-5825)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6624.
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H5823-5824)
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On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5823-5824)
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.