119-hr1519

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1519 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1519

To amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
 Organization Act to establish the Office of Public Safety 
 Communications, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 February 24, 2025

 Mrs. Cammack introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
 Organization Act to establish the Office of Public Safety 
 Communications, 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 ``Public Safety Communications Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS.

 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. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC SAFETY 
 COMMUNICATIONS.

 ``

    (a) Establishment.--There is established within the NTIA the 
Office of Public Safety Communications (in this section referred to as 
`the Office').
 ``

    (b) Head of Office.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The head of the Office shall be the 
 Associate Administrator for Public Safety Communications.
 ``

    (2) Career position.--The position of Associate 
 Administrator shall be a career position in the Senior 
 Executive Service occupied by a career appointee (as that term 
 is defined in 

section 3132

    (a)

    (4) of title 5, United States 
 Code).
 ``

    (3) Requirement to report.--The Associate Administrator 
 shall report to the Assistant Secretary.
 ``
            (c) Duties.--The Associate Administrator shall--
 ``

    (1) administer any grant program of the Federal 
 Government related to Next Generation 9-1-1 on behalf of the 
 Assistant Secretary;
 ``

    (2) analyze public safety policy communications issues, 
 including by obtaining such analysis;
 ``

    (3) provide to the Assistant Secretary advice and 
 assistance with respect to the Assistant Secretary--
 ``
        (A) carrying out the responsibilities of NTIA 
 related to public safety communications policy; and
 ``
        (B) evaluating the domestic impact of public 
 safety communications matters pending before the 
 Commission, Congress, or other entities of the 
 executive branch of the Federal Government;
 ``

    (4) carrying out any duties established under 

section 10 
 of Department Organizational Order 25-7 of the Department of 
 Commerce titled `National Telecommunications and Information 
 Administration', effective September 17, 2012; and
 ``

    (5) be responsible for the oversight of--
 ``
        (A) the studies carried out by the Federal 
 Government relating to enhancing public safety 
 communication; and
 ``
        (B) the prototyping (including leading edge 
 prototyping) and deployment by the Federal Government 
 of advanced communications technologies that enhance 
 public safety communications, including through test-
 protocol, model, or simulation tool for the testing and 
 validation of such technologies;
 ``

    (6) manage the First Responder Network Authority 
 established under 

section 6206 of the Middle Class Tax Relief 
 and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1426), including by 
 being responsible for the oversight of the duties and 
 responsibilities carried out by the First Responder Network 
 Authority;
 ``

    (7) at the direction of the Assistant Secretary, 
 communicate public safety communications policies to public 
 entities, including the Commission and Congress, or private 
 entities; and
 ``

    (8) carry out any duties regarding the responsibilities 
 of the NTIA with respect to public safety communications policy 
 as the Assistant Secretary may designate.
 ``
            (d) Audit.--The Associate Administrator--
 ``

    (1) shall annually conduct an audit of the activities of 
 the First Responder Network Authority in accordance with 
 general accounting principles and procedures; and
 ``

    (2) may conduct such audit (or parts thereof) through a 
 contractor whose services were procured in accordance with 
 title 41, United States Code.''.
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