119-hr1455

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1455 Referred in Senate

    (RFS) ]

<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1455

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 July 15, 2025

 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
 Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

 AN ACT

 To codify the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences and 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.

 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 ``Institute for Telecommunication 
Sciences Codification Act'' or the ``ITS Codification Act''.

SEC. 2. INSTITUTE FOR TELECOMMUNICATION SCIENCES.

    (a) 

=== Findings ===
-Congress finds the following:

    (1) The test center within the National Telecommunications 
 and Information Administration (in this subsection referred to 
 as the ``NTIA'') represents executive branch agencies on 
 spectrum issues before the Federal Communications Commission.

    (2) Understanding radio frequency propagation 
 characteristics and modeling is a critical component of making 
 spectrum decisions.

    (3) Federal agencies rely on expert engineering studies, 
 simulations, and analyses to make determinations about how to 
 make spectrum available for commercial use, including through 
 system relocations and identifying spectrum sharing 
 opportunities through the NTIA.

    (4) Clearing of Federal spectrum, when feasible, is the 
 priority action to take to make Federal spectrum available for 
 commercial uses as required by 

section 113

    (j)

    (1) of the 
 National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
 Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 923

    (j)

    (1) ).

    (5) Sharing of Federal spectrum between Federal entities 
 and commercial entities provides access to Federal spectrum for 
 commercial uses in circumstances where clearing is not 
 feasible.

    (6) The test center within the NTIA is the Government's 
 premier expert laboratory for spectrum research activities, 
 spectrum sharing innovation and testing, spectrum interference 
 studies, and all activities related to advancing next 
 generation wireless technologies.

    (7) The test center within the NTIA is critical for 
 undertaking engineering studies and analyses that inform 
 clearing or sharing opportunities and facilitate policy 
 decisions to maximize the efficient use of spectrum resources.

    (b) Operation of Test Center.--Part A of the National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act (47 
U.S.C. 901 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``

SEC. 106. INSTITUTE FOR TELECOMMUNICATION SCIENCES.

 ``

    (a) Establishment.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--Under the authority provided to the 
 Assistant Secretary under 

section 103, the Assistant Secretary 
 shall operate a test center to be known as the Institute for 
 Telecommunication Sciences (in this section referred to as 
 `ITS').
 ``

    (2) Functions.--
 ``
        (A) In general.--In addition to any functions 
 delegated by the Assistant Secretary under subparagraph
        (B) , ITS shall serve as the primary laboratory for the 
 executive branch of the Federal Government to--
 ``
            (i) study radio frequency emissions, 
 including technologies and techniques to 
 control such emissions and interference caused 
 by such emissions;
 ``
            (ii) determine spectrum propagation 
 characteristics;
 ``
            (iii) conduct tests on technology that 
 enhances the sharing of electromagnetic 
 spectrum between Federal and non-Federal users;
 ``
            (iv) improve the interference tolerance 
 of Federal systems operating with, or using, 
 Federal spectrum;
 ``
            (v) promote activities relating to access 
 to Federal spectrum by non-Federal users and 
 the sharing of Federal spectrum between Federal 
 and non-Federal users; and
 ``
            (vi) conduct such other activities as 
 determined necessary by the Assistant 
 Secretary.
 ``
        (B) Additional functions.--The Assistant 
 Secretary may delegate to ITS any of the functions 
 assigned to the Assistant Secretary under 

section 103

    (b)

    (1) .
 ``

    (3) Agreements and transactions.--In carrying out the 
 functions described in paragraph

    (2) , the Assistant Secretary, 
 acting through the head of ITS, may enter into agreements as 
 provided under the following authorities:
 ``
        (A) Sections 11 and 12 of the Stevenson-Wydler 
 Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3710; 
 3710a).
 ``
        (B) Section 1535 of title 31, United States Code.
 ``
            (C) Sections 207 and 209 of title 35, United 
 States Code.
 ``
            (D) Section 103

    (b)

    (2) of this Act.
 ``
        (E) Section 113

    (g) of this Act.
 ``
        (F) The first undesignated section of Public Law 
 91-412.
 ``
        (G) Any authorization in any other Federal 
 statute.
 ``

    (4) Federal spectrum defined.--In this subsection, the 
 term `Federal spectrum' means frequencies assigned on a primary 
 basis to a Federal entity (as defined in 

section 113
            (l) ).
 ``

    (b) Emergency Communication and Tracking Technologies 
Initiative.--
 ``

    (1) Establishment.--The Assistant Secretary, acting 
 through the head of ITS, shall establish an initiative to 
 support the development of emergency communication and tracking 
 technologies for use in locating trapped individuals in 
 confined spaces, such as underground mines, and other shielded 
 environments, such as high-rise buildings or collapsed 
 structures, where conventional radio communication is limited.
 ``

    (2) Activities.--In order to carry out this subsection, 
 the Assistant Secretary, acting through the head of ITS, shall 
 work with private sector entities and the heads of appropriate 
 Federal agencies, to--
 ``
        (A) perform a needs assessment to identify and 
 evaluate the measurement, technical specifications, and 
 conformity assessment needs required to improve the 
 operation and reliability of such emergency 
 communication and tracking technologies; and
 ``
        (B) support the development of technical 
 specifications and conformance architecture to improve 
 the operation and reliability of such emergency 
 communication and tracking technologies.
 ``

    (3) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
 the enactment of this section, the Assistant Secretary shall 
 submit to Congress, and make publicly available, a report on 
 the assessment performed under paragraph

    (2)
        (A) .''.

 Passed the House of Representatives July 14, 2025.

 Attest:

 KEVIN F. MCCUMBER,

 Clerk.