An expected Thursday House Commerce Committee markup session (see 2406210046) on the American Privacy Rights Act (HR-8818) and Kids Online Safety Act (HR-7891) will also include the revised AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (HR-8449), the panel said Tuesday night. HR-8449, which the Innovation Subcommittee advanced in May (see 2405230057), would require DOT to mandate AM radio's inclusion in future electric vehicles. The Senate Commerce Committee advanced an earlier version of the bill (S-1669) last year (see 2307270063). The House Commerce meeting will begin at 10 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn. HR-8449 supporter NAB earlier this month produced three radio ads backing the bill, with one highlighting that it “has brought legislators of all political stripes together to protect AM radio,” including House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass. The group also texted members earlier this week to “Tell Congress you want to keep AM radio in your car!”
It appears House Republican leadership isn’t willing to bring the House Commerce Committee’s bipartisan privacy bill to the floor because it lacks the necessary votes to pass, members and sources close to discussions told us Wednesday.
House Democrats rang alarm bells Wednesday over the Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Subcommittee’s proposal reducing FY 2025 allocations for NTIA and other Commerce Department agencies. The subpanel advanced its FY25 bill on a voice vote Wednesday after Republicans defended the proposed cuts, including a significant slashing of annual funding for the DOJ Antitrust Division. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo fielded repeated questions during a House Innovation Subcommittee hearing Wednesday about Republicans’ claims that NTIA’s requirement that broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program participants offer a low-cost connectivity option constitutes rate regulation.
A California Senate panel scaled back what the California Public Utilities Commission could require from cable companies under a proposed update of the state’s 2006 video franchise law, known as the Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act (DIVCA). At a hearing webcast Monday, the Senate Communications Committee voted 12-4 to approve the Assembly-passed AB-1826 with amendments. The Senate committee delayed receiving testimony on an Assembly-passed equity bill (AB-2239) that would ban digital discrimination as defined by the FCC (see 2405230012).
Public broadcasting advocates are bracing for House Republicans to again attempt ending advance funding for CPB as part of the FY 2025 appropriations process, but they’re hopeful the effort will fall short as it has in the past. The first salvo will likely happen Thursday, when the House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) Subcommittee is set to mark up its FY25 bill. The subpanel unsuccessfully tried halting CPB's advance federal funding as part of the FY 2024 appropriations cycle (see 2307140069). Observers are monitoring whether Republicans will use recent claims of pro-Democratic Party bias at NPR (see 2405080064) as ammunition to move further on defunding that network or CPB.
The Government Accountability Office told House and Senate Commerce committee leaders Monday it recommends NTIA improve technical assistance to Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program recipients. GAO found NTIA’s “plans for providing technical assistance throughout the funding period do not include support for recipients that are unable to implement their financial sustainability plans. In addition, over half of TBCP recipients with infrastructure projects planned to use other federal funding to support their ongoing financial sustainability. But those sources have proven difficult for Tribes to obtain or have ended.” The office recommended NTIA “provide technical assistance to recipients that are unable to implement their financial sustainability plans.” The agency should “consolidate technical assistance resources for the TBCP environmental review process in a single location” given it didn’t already include most of those resources “in its one-stop hub,” GAO said. The office also recommended NTIA report to Congress on TBCP projects’ “financial stability needs.” The agency agreed with the recommendations, GAO said.
The House Commerce Committee will mark up an updated draft of the American Privacy Rights Act on Thursday, the office for Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., confirmed Friday, as expected (see 2406140036). Ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J., and several members have sought changes to the bill, particularly on children’s privacy. The latest draft includes a new section with language from the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act 2.0, a change the bill sponsors, Reps. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., and Tim Walberg, R-Mich., have sought. The new draft includes updated definitions related to contextual and targeted advertising. Absent from the latest draft is a section about civil rights and algorithms that was included in the original draft proposal.
The House Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee plans a Wednesday markup of its FY 2025 funding bill, which includes money for NTIA, other Commerce Department agencies and the DOJ Antitrust Division. The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. in H-140 The Capitol. A few hours later, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will testify at a House Innovation Subcommittee hearing on the department's FY25 budget request (see 2406200063). The House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee will mark up its FY25 funding bill Thursday. That meeting will begin at 8 a.m. in 2358-C Rayburn. The subpanel unsuccessfully tried halting advance federal funding for CPB as part of the FY 2024 appropriations cycle (see 2307140069).
The House Innovation Subcommittee plans a June 26 hearing with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo about her department’s FY 2025 budget request, the Commerce Committee said Tuesday night. President Joe Biden in March proposed funding increases for NTIA and other Commerce agencies in excess of what they received for FY 2024 (see 2403040083). Biden sought $65 million for NTIA, $4.5 billion for the Patent Office, $1.5 billion for the National Institute of Standards and Technology and $233.4 million for the Bureau of Industry and Security (see 2403110056). The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn.
Supporters of the FCC's expired affordable connectivity program acknowledge the Senate Commerce Committee’s impasse (see 2406180067) on the Spectrum and National Security Act (S-4207) may spur a reexamination of alternatives for addressing broadband pricing. This realization comes amid weakening odds that Congress can address ACP funding via a broader package aimed at restoring the FCC's lapsed airwaves sales authority. Lawmakers continue insisting a legislative solution is possible this year even though Senate Commerce’s cancellation of its planned Tuesday markup of S-4207 (see 2406170066) was its fourth pulling of the measure since early May. Other stakeholders are urging a shift to emphasizing nonlegislative solutions.