Ensuring Network Security Act

Ensuring Network Security Act

This bill expands eligibility and establishes distribution priority for funds provided under the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program. The program reimburses providers of advanced communications service for costs associated with replacing communications equipment or services that pose a threat to national security.

Specifically, the bill increases from 2 million to 10 million the number of customers that an eligible provider may serve. Further, the bill establishes priority for the allocation of reimbursement funds to applicants, providing that such funds shall be distributed first to applicants that have 2 million or fewer customers; subsequently, to applicants that are accredited public or private noncommercial educational institutions providing their own facilities-based education broadband service; and finally, to certain other applicants that are designated as eligible telecommunications carriers.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8000 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8000

 To amend the Secure and Trusted Communications Network Reimbursement 
 Program to include eligible telecommunications carriers and providers 
       of educational broadband service, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 11, 2020

    Mr. Butterfield (for himself and Mr. Kinzinger) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Secure and Trusted Communications Network Reimbursement 
 Program to include eligible telecommunications carriers and providers 
       of educational broadband service, 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 ``Ensuring Network Security Act''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO THE SECURE AND TRUSTED COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS 
              REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM.

    Section 4 of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 
2019 (47 U.S.C. 1603) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ``2,000,000'' and 
        inserting ``10,000,000'';
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)(A)--
                            (i) in the matter preceding clause (i), by 
                        inserting ``, as defined in section 9 or as 
                        defined in the Report and Order of the 
                        Commission in the matter of Protecting Against 
                        National Security Threats to the Communications 
                        Supply Chain Through FCC Programs (FCC 19-121; 
                        WC Docket No. 18-89; adopted November 22, 2019) 
                        (in this section referred to as the `Report and 
                        Order') and subsequently reported to the 
                        Commission in response to its February 26, 
                        2020, Supply Chain Data Collection, and'' after 
                        ``services'';
                            (ii) in clause (i), by inserting ``were 
                        reported to the Commission in response to its 
                        February 26, 2020, Supply Chain Data Collection 
                        or'' after ``services that''; and
                            (iii) in clause (ii), by inserting ``were 
                        not reported to the Commission in response to 
                        its February 26, 2020, Supply Chain Data 
                        Collection or'' after ``services that''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)(A)--
                            (i) in clause (i), by inserting ``was 
                        reported to the Commission in response to its 
                        February 26, 2020, Supply Chain Data Collection 
                        or'' after ``service that''; and
                            (ii) in clause (ii), by inserting ``was not 
                        reported to the Commission in response to its 
                        February 26, 2020, Supply Chain Data Collection 
                        or'' after ``service that''; and
            (3) in subsection (d)(5)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``The 
                Commission'' and inserting ``Subject to subparagraph 
                (C), the Commission''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(C) Priority for allocation.--On and after the 
                date of enactment of this subparagraph, the Commission 
                shall allocate sufficient reimbursement funds--
                            ``(i) first, to approved applicants that 
                        have 2,000,000 or fewer customers, for removal 
                        and replacement of covered communications 
                        equipment, as defined in section 9;
                            ``(ii) after funds have been allocated to 
                        all applicants described in clause (i), to 
                        approved applicants that are accredited public 
                        or private non-commercial educational 
                        institutions providing their own facilities-
                        based education broadband service, as defined 
                        in section 27.4 of title 47, Code of Federal 
                        Regulations, or any successor regulation, for 
                        removal and replacement of covered 
                        communications equipment, as defined in the 
                        Report and Order; and
                            ``(iii) after funds have been allocated to 
                        all applicants described in clause (ii), to 
                        approved applicants that are designated as 
                        eligible telecommunications carriers under 
                        section 214(e) of the Communications Act of 
                        1934 (47 U.S.C. 214(e)) or affiliates of such a 
                        carrier, for removal and replacement of covered 
                        communications equipment, as defined in the 
                        Report and Order and subsequently reported to 
                        the Commission in response to its February 26, 
                        2020, Supply Chain Data Collection.''.
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