To amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act to codify the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences, to direct the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to establish an initiative to support the development of emergency communication and tracking technologies, and for other purposes.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · February 8, 2024
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
This bill formally establishes the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) as an official operation within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration under the Department of Commerce. ITS operates as a federal laboratory focused on spectrum research, testing technologies for sharing electromagnetic spectrum between government and commercial users, and studying radio frequency emissions and interference. The bill also directs ITS to create a new initiative to develop emergency communication and tracking technologies for use in confined spaces like mines, collapsed buildings, and other areas where regular radio communication fails, with a requirement to submit a report to Congress within 18 months assessing the technical needs for these technologies. The legislation authorizes ITS to enter into various agreements and partnerships with private sector entities and other federal agencies to carry out its mission. No specific funding amount is mentioned in the bill, leaving appropriations to be determined separately.
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