S 1040 · 112th Congress 2011–2013, ended

Broadband for First Responders Act of 2011

Latest action · May 19, 2011 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedMay 19, 2011
  2. Passed SenateNot reached
  3. Passed HouseNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Broadband for First Responders Act of 2011 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to increase the electromagnetic spectrum allocation for public safety services by 10 megahertz and reduce such allocation for commercial use by the same amount.

Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to: (1) allocate the paired electromagnetic spectrum bands of 758-763 megahertz and 788-793 megahertz (referred to as D Block) for public safety broadband communications and license such paired bands to public safety; (2) establish rules to permit a public safety broadband licensee to authorize public safety service providers to construct and operate a wireless public safety broadband network in the public safety broadband spectrum; (3) require the wireless public safety broadband network to be fully interoperable, provide for user roaming and priority access to public safety entities, be disaster survivable, have appropriate cyber security, and enable authorized users to develop local networks; (4) authorize the shared use, sublicensing, or leasing of the public safety broadband spectrum and network infrastructure by entities that are not defined as public safety services; (5) allow use of the public safety broadband spectrum by emergency response providers; and (6) establish rules enabling nationwide wireless public safety broadband network interoperability and roaming across any commercial network.

Requires each state to submit a plan to the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FCC detailing the terms and aspects of the phased deployment for wireless public safety broadband network to be constructed in the public safety broadband spectrum.

Specifies organizations that shall be included in the Board of Directors of the Public Safety Broadband Licensee.

Establishes in the Treasury: (1) the Public Safety Interoperable Broadband Network Construction Fund, and (2) the Public Safety Interoperable Broadband Network Maintenance and Operation Fund.

Directs the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) establish a grant program to assist states, municipalities, and Indian tribes to establish a nationwide public safety interoperable broadband network in the 700 megahertz band, and (2) administer a program through which not more than 50% of maintenance and operational expenses associated with the public safety interoperable broadband network may be reimbursed from the Maintenance and Operation Fund.

Directs: (1) the Assistant Secretary of Commerce to identify at least 15 megahertz of contiguous spectrum between 1675 and 1710 megahertz for reallocation, and (2) the FCC to auction various specified spectrum ranges.

Extends the FCC's authority to grant a license or permit under applicable competitive bidding provisions to September 30, 2020.

Directs each federal law enforcement agency, within 10 years, to move all noncommercial network communications to spectrum located in the 700 and 800 megahertz bands.

Prohibits the FCC, subject to exceptions, from renewing public safety licenses between 170 and 512 megahertz.

Directs the FCC to revise specified regulations relating to the 4940 to 4990 megahertz band to ensure governmental public safety services retain primary spectrum use authority and set forth conditions on secondary use by nongovernmental entities. Requires a recurring licensing fee for secondary spectrum use.

Cosponsors 1

Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on May 19, 2011.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-AZJohn McCainOriginalMay 19, 2011

Committees 1

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
SenateCommerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
Referred May 19, 2011

Actions 3

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. May 19, 2011Introduced in Senate
  2. May 19, 2011Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3182-3183)
  3. May 19, 2011Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

In the Congressional Record 1

Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.

WhereIn the RecordMembersDate
SenateDebate and remarks S3182, S3183John McCain R-AZ, Joseph I. Lieberman I-CTMay 19, 2011

Research

What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.

Printed hearings 3

Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.

NumberHearingCommitteeHeld
S. Hrg. 112-876IMPROVING QUALITY, LOWERING COSTS: THE ROLE OF HEALTH CARE DELIVERY SYSTEM REFORM81 pagesHealth, Education, Labor, and Pensions CommitteeNov 10, 2011
S. Hrg. 112-403S. Hrg. 112-403 TEN YEARS AFTER 9/111,362 pagesHomeland Security and Governmental Affairs CommitteeMar 30, 2011–Nov 2, 2011
Serial No. 112-13PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS: ARE THE NEEDS OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS BEING MET?53 pagesHomeland Security CommitteeMar 30, 2011

Related bills 2

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
HR 607Broadband for First Responders Act of 2011Related billFeb 28, 2011
HR 2482Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation ActRelated billAug 15, 2011

Titles 2

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
A bill to enhance public safety by making more spectrum available to public safety entities, to facilitate the development of a public safety broadband network, to provide standards for the spectrum needs of public safety entities, and for other purposes.
Short Titles as Introduced
Broadband for First Responders Act of 2011

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. May 19, 2011Introduced in Senate

Support LegiList

This page is free, carries no paywall, and is built and maintained by one person. If the record here is useful to you, a few dollars keeps it going.

Processed by Stripe in a separate window. LegiList never sees card details.

Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.