December 5, 2008
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House

H.R. 71, Wireless Privacy Protection Act
Sponsor: Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J.
Introduced: Jan. 7, 2003
Committee: House Energy and Commerce
Description: H.R. 71 seeks to prevent cell-phone spam before it becomes a serious problem. The bill would require customer consent before advertisers and marketers could obtain information on the origination points of wireless calls. The marketers and advertisers could not divulge the information to third parties without that consent. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., introduced two other privacy bills the same day, H.R. 70 and H.R. 71.
H.R. 94, Children's Access to Technology Act
Sponsor: Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas
Introduced: Jan. 7, 2003
Committee: House Energy and Commerce
Description: H.R. 94 would allow unspent money from the fund reserved for providing telecommunications services in low-income school districts to be distributed the following year. Under the bill, eligible schools could receive up to $25,000. The total amount that could be redistributed could not exceed $100 million.
H.R. 395, Do-Not-Call Implementation Act
Sponsor: Rep. W.J. (Billy) Tauzin, R-La.
Introduced: Jan. 28, 2003
Committee: House Energy and Commerce
Description: H.R. 395 would authorize funding for a national "do not call" list, removing a potential obstacle to an effort to help consumers block unwanted calls from telemarketers. The FTC believes the do-not-call registry it has proposed would cost about $16 million in its first year. It would be funded with fees collected from telemarketers, but congressional approval is required to collect the fees. The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the bill by voice vote Jan. 29, 2003. A related bill, H.R. 526, also was introduced.
H.R. 526
Sponsor: Rep. Nancy Johnson, R-Conn.
Introduced: Feb. 4, 2003
Committee: House Energy and Commerce; Financial Services; Agriculture
Description: H.R. 526 would authorize funding for a national "do not call" list, removing a potential obstacle to an effort to help consumers block unwanted calls from telemarketers. The FTC believes the do-not-call registry it has proposed would cost about $16 million in its first year. It would be funded with fees collected from telemarketers, but congressional approval is required to collect the fees. House action on the issue has centered on a related bill, H.R. 395.
H.R. 747, Telecommunications Development Fund Improvement Act
Sponsor: Rep. Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y.
Introduced: Feb. 12, 2003
Committee: House Energy and Commerce
Description: H.R. 747 seeks to improve operations of the Telecommunications Development Fund (TDF), a private corporation created under the 1996 Telecommunications Act to foster telecom innovation. The bill would require bidders for spectrum licenses to deposit their down payments in interest-bearing accounts while the FCC considers their applications. When an application is approved, the amount of the bid would go to the federal treasury, and the accrued interest would go to the TDF.
H.R. 1252, E-Rate Termination Act
Sponsor: Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo.
Introduced: March 12, 2003
Committee: House Energy and Commerce
Description: H.R. 1252 would terminate the FCC's e-rate program, which requires telecommunications and information service companies to provide their services to schools and libraries at a discounted rate. The e-rate program provides 20 percent to 90 percent discounts on telecom services, Internet access and internal connections to schools and libraries. Bill sponsor Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., said the program amounts to a "hidden tax" because telecom providers pass the cost of the program along to consumers in higher telephone rates.
H.R. 1320, Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act
Sponsor: Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich.
Introduced: March 18, 2003
Committee: House Energy and Commerce
Description: H.R. 1320 would create a trust fund to reimburse government spectrum users who are moved from their current spectrum bands to other frequencies to make way for commercial services. Under the bill, proceeds from spectrum auctions would be used to cover the costs of relocating government agencies to other spectrum. The measure also would stipulate that auction proceeds must equal at least 110 percent of the total estimated relocation expenses. A related measure, H.R. 1396, also was introduced.
H.R. 1396, Spectrum Commons and Digital Dividends Act
Sponsor: Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass.
Introduced: March 20, 2003
Committee: House Energy and Commerce
Description: H.R. 1396 would create a fund to ensure that government agencies are reimbursed if they move their telecommunications services to new spectrum to make way for commercial uses of their current spectrum. The money in the fund would come from spectrum auctions, and the bill would cap the contributions to it at $5 billion. Any other auction money would go into a "digital dividends trust fund" for public-interest telecom projects such as training teachers, digitizing educational material at libraries and museums, deploying high-speed Internet infrastructure to low-income and rural areas, and moving public radio and TV stations to digital technology.. The measure also would create a "spectrum commons" that would be open to the public and unlicensed in order to spur innovation.
H.R. 1425, Homeland Emergency Response Operations (HERO) Act
Sponsor: Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif.
Introduced: March 25, 2003
Committee: House Energy and Commerce
Description: H.R. 1425 would require the FCC to free designated airwaves for the public-safety community to use regardless of the progress in the transition to digital television. Under a 1996 law, broadcasters have until 2006 to relinquish 24 megahertz of spectrum currently used for analog television (channels 63, 64, 68 and 69) to public-safety officials in an effort to allow them to communicate with each other via wireless telecommunications devices. But the mandate can be imposed only if 85 percent of U.S. households have TVs capable of receiving digital signals by then. Bill sponsor Jane Harman, D-Calif., said only 1 percent of households currently are fit for digital TV. Her bill would lift the 85-percent rule and require that the spectrum identified in the 1996 law be relinquished for public-safety use by the end of 2006.
H.R. 1441, Untitled
Sponsor: Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.
Introduced: March 26, 2003
Committees: House International Relations; Armed Services
Description: H.R. 1441 would require U.S. leaders to choose American wireless technologies as the foundation for communications systems in post-war Iraq. The bill calls for using the wireless standard known as CDMA, which was developed commercially by San Diego-based Qualcomm. Bill sponsor Darrell Issa, R-Calif., warned Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that if new cellular networks built in Iraq are based on another standard known as GSM, most of the equipment necessary to support that standard will be manufactured in Europe. Issa’s congressional district includes part of San Diego.
H.R. 1582, Universal Service Fairness Act
Sponsor: Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb.
Introduced: April 3, 2003
Committee: House Energy and Commerce
Description: H.R. 1582 would change the contribution methodology for the government fund that is designed to ensure affordable communications services to all Americans. The aim of the bill is to distribute high-cost funds in the universal service fund more evenly across the 50 states. Qwest Communications is pushing the proposal. The current FCC formula distributes 52 percent of the funds in Mississippi and 18 percent in Alabama, and five other states split the remainder. Under the legislation, 46 states would receive funding for services in rural areas.
H.R. 1642, Cell Phone Service Disclosure Act
Sponsor: Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y.
Introduced: April 3, 2003
Committee: House Energy and Commerce
Description: H.R. 1642 would create an FCC system for hearing and addressing complaints from customers regarding their cellular telephone service. The system would include a toll-free number at the FCC accessible by cell phone.
H.R. 1927, Untitled
Sponsor: Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-Mo.
Introduced: May 1, 2003
Committee: House Ways and Means
Description: H.R. 1927 would create a tax break for business purchases of wireless telecommunications equipment. The bill would include wireless equipment in the definition of "qualified technological equipment" that lets companies write the cost of such equipment off of their tax liability over five years. The tax break would apply to any equipment used to transmit, receive or coordinate wireless services but not to things like cellular telephone towers.
H.R. 2025, Subway Cell Access Act
Sponsor: Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y.
Introduced: May 7, 2003
Committee: House Energy and Commerce
Description: H.R. 2025 would require wireless telephone companies to provide their customers with emergency numbers that they could access while riding the subway. The bill also would require the companies to share their telecommunications infrastructure with competing firms so those competitors also can provide such emergency access.
H.R. 2044, Telecommunications Ownership Diversification Act
Sponsor: Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill.
Introduced: May 9, 2003
Committee: House Ways and Means
Description: H.R. 2044 seeks to ensure that the ownership of telecommunications facilities remain open to small and “socially disadvantaged” businesses. Noting the ongoing convergence among broadcasters, cable companies and Internet-based businesses, the bill would create a tax break for sales of telecom facilities to small and socially disadvantaged firms. Under the measure, companies could defer capital-gains taxes on such sales.
H.R. 2183, Minority-Serving Institution Digital and Wireless Technology Opportunity Act
Sponsor: Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va.
Introduced: May 21, 2003
Committee: House Science; Education and the Workforce
Description: H.R. 2183 would authorize grants to colleges and universities that serve minority populations in an effort to strengthen their technology infrastructures. The bill focuses on digital and wireless technology. Entities applying for federal grants would send requests to the director and provide any relevant statistical or demographic data. Programs that receive grants of more than $2.5 million could receive only one grant.
H.R. 2537, Emergency Warning Act
Sponsor: Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y.
Introduced: June 19, 2003
Committees: House Transportation and Infrastructure; Energy and Commerce
Description: H.R. 2537 seeks to incorporate new technologies, including the Internet, e-mail and text messaging on cellular telephones, into a national warning system to alert citizens in case of a national emergency. The Homeland Security Department would work with other entities to develop standards for the terminology of the warnings. The measure would authorize $10 million in fiscal 2004 and unspecified sums from fiscal 2005 through fiscal 2008.
H.R. 2604, Untitled
Sponsor: Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y.
Introduced: June 25, 2003
Committees: House Ways and Means; Small Business
Description: H.R. 2604 would create tax incentives to encourage ownership diversity in telecommunications firms. The incentives would go to people who have a majority ownership of 20 or fewer broadcast stations, whose net assets do not exceed $18 million and whose after-tax income for the previous two years does not exceed $6 million.
H.R. 2801, Minority Serving Institution Digital and Wireless Technology Opportunity Act
Sponsor: Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-Va.
Introduced: July 18, 2003
Committees: House Science; Education and the Workforce
Description: H.R. 2801 would authorize money for digital and wireless opportunities at minority-focused colleges. The measure would authorize $250 million a year from fiscal 2004 through fiscal 2008 to help historically black colleges and institutions whose student bodies include large percentages of Hispanics, American Indians and Native Hawaiians, or that have significant numbers of needy students. The House Science Committee approved the bill July 22, 2003.
H.R.2836, Deadbeat Corporations Tax Accountability Act
Sponsor: Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y.
Introduced: July 23, 2003
Committee: House Ways and Means
Description: H.R. 2836 would amend the tax code to reduce corporate tax refunds by the amount of outstanding fines and penalties imposed by federal agencies because of improper accounting or reporting practices. The bill was introduced because of concerns about the amount of the settlement between the Securities and Exchange Commission and the MCI telecommunications firm, formerly known as WorldCom.
H.R. 2898, E-911 Implementation Act
Sponsor: Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill.
Introduced: July 25, 2003
Committee: House Energy and Commerce
Description: H.R.2898 seeks to spur implementation of technology that would enable emergency responders to pinpoint the locations of people who make 911 calls on their mobile telephones. Consumers Union estimates that 56 million 911 calls each year are made from mobile phones, and a recent survey found that 15 percent of respondents had trouble connecting. The bill is designed to nudge the “enhanced 911” process to completion after years of lawmakers pushing for implementation of rules that require wireless telephones to offer the same emergency-response capability as traditional 911 calls. The House passed the bill by voice vote Nov. 4, 2003.
H.R. 2957, Untitled
Sponsor: Rep. Gary Miller, R-Calif.
Introduced: July 25, 2003
Committee: House Ways and Means
Description: H.R. 2957 would repeal a century-old federal excise tax on telephone and other communications services. Previous efforts to rescind the 3 percent tax -- imposed in 1898 to fund the Spanish-American War -- have been unsuccessful.
H.R. 3161, Untitled
Sponsor: Rep. W.J. (Billy) Tauzin, R-La.
Introduced: Sept. 24, 2003
Committee: House Energy and Commerce
Description: H.R 3161 would approve the FTC’s "do not call" registry against telemarketing. Under the bill, telemarketers could not call Americans who sign the registry and would face penalties for violating the restriction. It was one of several measures introduced on the topic. A similar bill, H.R. 395, was signed into law on March 11, 2003.
H.R. 3558, Wireless 411 Privacy Act
Sponsor: Rep. Joseph Pitts, R-Pa.
Introduced: Nov. 20, 2003
Committee: House Energy and Commerce
Description: H.R. 3558 would set guidelines for listing people's mobile telephone numbers in a wireless directory. The bill would require all wireless carriers to get authorization from existing customers before including their numbers in a new directory and to let new customers opt out of having their numbers listed. Carriers could not charge fees for unlisted numbers.

Senate

S. 179, Mobile Telephone Driving Safety Act
Sponsor: Sen. John Corzine, D-N.J.
Introduced: Jan. 16, 2003
Committee: Senate Environment and Public Works
Description: S.179 seeks to encourage states to impose bans on holding cellular phones while driving. The bill would withhold some federal transportation aid from states that do not enact such bans, although states could reclaim the money if they enact such laws within four years.
S. 267, Telecommunications Ownership Diversity Act
Sponsor: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
Introduced: Jan. 30, 2003
Committee: Senate Finance
Description: S. 267 seeks to ensure that minorities, women and other people currently underrepresented in telecommunications companies have a better chance of owning such firms. The bill would do so by creating targeted tax breaks for people who sell telecom assets to certain small businesses, such as a reduction in the tax on gains from investment in the companies.
S. 315, First Responders Partnership Grant Act
Sponsor: Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.
Introduced: Feb. 5, 2003
Committee: Senate Judiciary
Description: S. 315 would create a $4 billion grant program for state and local "first responders" to emergencies. The bill, S. 315, aims to improve the interoperability of those responders' equipment so they can communicate across jurisdictions. The grants could be used to pay up to 90 percent of the cost of the overtime, equipment, training or facility expenses. The federal government also could consider covering the other 10 percent for such projects in communities with dire funding needs. The measure was introduced just as the National Task Force on Interoperability (NTFI) released its second of two reports on the issue.
S. 335, Family Dinnertime Protection Act
Sponsor: Sen. Timothy Johnson, D-S.D.
Introduced: Feb. 10, 2003
Committee: Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Description: S. 335 would ban telemarketing calls to consumers during dinnertime. A 1991 law forbids calls between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. The measure would expand the time period that telemarketers may not place calls to include 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
S. 564, Emergency Communications and Competition Act
Sponsor: Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La.
Introduced: March 6, 2003
Committee: Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Description: S. 564 seeks to make wireless telecommunications networks more readily available in order to more adequately execute the Emergency Alert System. One of the bill's main goals is to ensure that emergency personnel have access to communications equipment during crises and that equipment and technology can be used to expedite rescues. The bill also aims to provide high-speed data and video services to underserved populations, including schools, libraries, senior centers and tribal lands. The measure calls for faster deployment of multichannel video distribution and data service, a new wireless technology approved by the FCC, as a way to satisfy both the needs of public safety and the desire for more high-speed consumer services.
S.865, Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act
Sponsor: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
Introduced: April 10, 2003
Committees: Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Description: S. 865 would create a trust fund to reimburse government spectrum users whose services are moved to new space on the airwaves to make way for commercial applications. The bill would establish the "spectrum relocation fund" and funnel the money from any auctions of spectrum into that fund. Federal agencies could withdraw money from the fund to cover the expenses associated with relocating their services to new spectrum. A related House measure, H.R. 1320, also was introduced.
S. 895, Untitled
Sponsor: Sen. Don Nickles, R-Okla.
Introduced: April 11, 2003
Committee: Senate Finance
Description: S. 895 would amend the tax code to clarify the rules governing the depreciation of wireless telecommunications equipment. A 1998 Internal Revenue Service memorandum said that wireless telecommunications services and traditional telephone assets are similar in terms of tax purposes and should be subject to the same tax breaks. The memo, however, did not make a distinction about equipment at cellular sites. The bill would classify such equipment as "qualified technological equipment" whose value could be claimed as a tax write-off over five years.
S. 1216, Cell Phone Users Bill of Rights
Sponsor: Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.
Introduced: June 9, 2003
Committee: Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Description: S. 1216 seeks to remedy hidden fees for cellular telephones. The measure, dubbed a “bill of rights” for wireless customers, would require providers to disclose all charges, including initiation fees, termination fees, taxes and surcharges, within their advertisements on the Internet and in other forums. It also would require wireless companies that serve the 100 largest metropolitan areas to let customers keep their cell-phone numbers when they change providers. Providers also would have to create maps of their coverage areas and post them online, and the FCC would have to report annually on service quality by tallying such things as the number of dropped calls.
S. 1221, Wireless Telephone Number Portability Act
Sponsor: Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.
Introduced: June 10, 2003
Committee: Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Description: S. 1221 seeks to encourage competition among wireless telephone providers by requiring them to let consumers keep their cellular phone numbers when they change providers. The legislation would require wireless companies to make the necessary changes in the networks to allow for such "number portability." Firms that provide service in the 100 largest metropolitan areas would have either six months or until Nov. 24, 2003, whichever is earliest, to make the changes, and the providers for other areas would have either 18 months or until Nov. 24, 2004.
S. 1250, Enhanced 911 Emergency Communications Act
Sponsor: Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont.
Introduced: June 12, 2003
Committee: Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Description: S. 1250 would authorize $500 million for state funds to create "enhanced 911" services. The E911 bill aims to be a "balanced approach of incentives and punishments" for not offering such services, which enable emergency-response officials to pinpoint the location of distress calls made on cellular telephones. The measure also aims to organize and improve communication among different 911 emergency systems.
S. 1264, FCC Reauthorization Act
Sponsor: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
Introduced: June 13, 2003
Committee: Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Description: S. 1264 would reauthorize FCC funding through fiscal 2007. The bill would increase the amount the FCC could fine companies for violating agency rules, as well as seek to ensure that bankruptcy laws do not protect the rights of companies to retain wireless spectrum they won in auction bids before bankruptcy. Additionally, the measure would require a review of FCC media-ownership rules every few years and provide funds to enable the agency to audit its e-rate programs, which provide schools and libraries with grants to acquire Internet access.
S. 1286, Seniors Safety Act
Sponsor: Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.
Introduced: June 18, 2003
Committee: Senate Judiciary
Description: S. 1286 seeks to curb nursing-home abuse and increase protections for victims of telemarketing schemes, among other purposes. The measure would provide victims of such fraud restitution for their losses and require consideration of the victims’ ages when sentencing scam artists. In addition, the bill would address health fraud conducted via computer systems.
S. 1380, Rural Universal Services Equity Act
Sponsor: Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore.
Introduced: July 9, 2003
Committee: Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Description: S. 1380 seeks to redistribute throughout rural America the money in a fund designed to guarantee affordable communications to all Americans. The bill would restructure the FCC’s universal service program by redistributing the funds to rural states where the presence of cities often hundred of miles away from affected rural areas currently makes the average cost of telephone infrastructure too low to qualify. The measure would require the FCC to distribute funds to telephone company wire centers that bear the highest cost, often because of geographic obstacles and long distances. The bill further would require the FCC to develop equitable rules among states and determine what qualifies as a “high cost” wire center.
S. 1652, Untitled
Sponsor: Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.
Introduced: Sept. 24, 2003
Committee: Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Description: S. 1652 would approve the FTC’s "do not call" registry against telemarketing. Under the bill, telemarketers could not call Americans who sign the registry and would face penalties for violating the restriction. It was one of several measures introduced on the topic. A similar bill, H.R. 395, was signed into law on March 11, 2003.
S. 1654, Untitled
Sponsor: Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska
Introduced: Sept. 24, 2003
Committee: Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Description: S. 1654 would approve the FTC’s "do not call" registry against telemarketing. Under the bill, telemarketers could not call Americans who sign the registry and would face penalties for violating the restriction. It was one of several measures introduced on the topic. A similar bill, H.R. 395, was signed into law on March 11, 2003.
S. 1655, Untitled
Sponsor: Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev.
Introduced: Sept. 25, 2003
Committee: Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Description: S. 1655 would approve the FTC’s "do not call" registry against telemarketing. Under the bill, telemarketers could not call Americans who sign the registry and would face penalties for violating the restriction. It was one of several measures introduced on the topic. A similar bill, H.R. 395, was signed into law on March 11, 2003.
S. 1661, Telemarketing Intrusive Practices Act
Sponsor: Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn.
Introduced: Sept. 25, 2003
Committee: Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Description: S. 1661 would require the FTC to establish a "do not call" registry against telemarketing. Under the bill, telemarketers could not call Americans who sign the registry and would face penalties for violating the restriction. It was one of several measures introduced on the topic. A similar bill, H.R. 395, was signed into law on March 11, 2003.
S. 1854, Digital Opportunity Investment Trust Act
Sponsor: Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn.
Introduced: Nov. 12, 2003
Committee: Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Description: S. 1854 would take 30 percent of the money earned from spectrum auctions and fees from electromagnetic spectrum and put it toward technology grants. The grants and contracts would be used to help underwrite the digitizing of university collections and to make technology improvements within schools and nonprofit agencies. A nine-member board of non-government employees appointed by the president would oversee allocation of the funds.
S. 1963, Wireless 411 Privacy Act
Sponsor: Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa.
Introduced: Nov. 25, 2003
Committee: Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Description: S. 1963 seeks to protect the privacy rights of subscribers to wireless communication services. The measure would give wireless subscribers the right to keep their cellular telephone numbers from being listed in directory-assistance databases and would require wireless providers to get permission from existing customers to list their numbers. The goal is to prevent wireless subscribers from receiving unwanted phone calls. A related measure, S. 1973, was introduced.
S. 1973, Wireless 411 Privacy Act
Sponsor: Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio
Introduced: Nov, 25, 2003
Committee: Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation
Description: S. 1973 seeks to protect the privacy rights of subscribers to wireless communication services. The measure would give wireless subscribers the right to keep their cellular telephone numbers private. Users also could refuse to accept forwarded calls from directory assistance to protect their identities and reduce the charges for such calls. The bill would prohibit the publication of a wireless phone directory by service providers. The goal is to prevent wireless subscribers from receiving unwanted phone calls. A related measure, S. 1963, was introduced.

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