Communications Security Act

House Bill

H.R. 1717

119th Congress

Communications Security Act

In Committee

Introduced:Feb 27, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Marcy Kaptur

Representative

Democratic

OH-9

Cosponsors

1

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Science, Technology, Communications

Summary

This bill provides permanent statutory authority for the FCC advisory council on communications network security, reliability, and interoperability. The council must include industry, public interest, academic, and government representatives while excluding members from entities controlled by foreign adversaries.

Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

SponsorMarcy Kaptur (D-OH)

Introduced2/27/2025

StatusReceived in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transp

ChamberHouse

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Vote Prediction

Communications Security Act

This bill provides permanent statutory authority for the FCC advisory council on communications network security, reliability, and interoperability. The council must include industry, public interest, academic, and government representatives while excluding me

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This bill provides permanent statutory authority for the FCC advisory council on communications network security, reliability, and interoperability. The council must include industry, public interest, academic, and government representatives while excluding members from entities controlled by foreign adversaries.

Bill Number: 1717
Sponsor: Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
Introduced: 2/27/2025
Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transp
Policy Area: Science, Technology, Communications

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: Communications Security Act
Bill Number: 1717
Sponsor: Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transp
Introduced: 2/27/2025
Summary: This bill provides permanent statutory authority for the FCC advisory council on communications network security, reliability, and interoperability. The council must include industry, public interest, academic, and government representatives while excluding members from entities controlled by foreig

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill provides permanent statutory authority for the FCC advisory council on communications network security, reliability, and interoperability. The council must include industry, public interest, academic, and government representatives while excluding members from entities controlled by foreign adversaries.

Last updated: 1/6/2026

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Communications Security ActThis bill provides statutory authority for a council established by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to provide advice regarding the security, reliability, and interoperability of communications networks. (This advice is currently provided by the FCC’s Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council.)The bill specifies that the FCC may designate an existing advisory committee to fulfill this role, provided the committee’s membership is modified, as necessary, to comply with membership requirements set forth in the bill. Specifically, the bill requires the council to include, to the extent practicable, representatives of companies in the communications industry; public interest organizations or academic institutions; and federal, state, tribal, and local governments (with at least one member representing each level of government). Members are to be selected by the FCC's chair and generally may not include representatives of entities owned or controlled by, or subject to the influence of, a foreign adversary, or otherwise deemed to pose a threat to U.S. national security. Under current law, federal advisory committees must generally terminate after two years unless they are renewed or a statute specifies a different termination date. However, the bill exempts the council from this requirement.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Provides statutory authority for FCC security advisory council
Exempts council from two-year termination requirement
Requires diverse membership from industry and government
Excludes representatives from foreign adversary entities
Addresses communications network security and reliability

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

The FCC would have permanent authority to maintain an advisory council on communications security. The council would provide ongoing advice on network reliability and interoperability while excluding members with foreign adversary connections.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Science, Technology, Communications

Related Subjects

Broadcasting, cable, digital technologies

Computer security and identity theft

Congressional oversight

Executive agency funding and structure

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Government studies and investigations

Internet, web applications, social media

Public-private cooperation

State and local government operations

Telephone and wireless communication

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

1717, 119th Congress (2025). "Communications Security Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-1717

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