Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act of 2020
Latest action · Sep 24, 2020 Received in the Senate and 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.
- IntroducedJan 10, 2019
- Passed HouseSep 23, 2020
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Don't Break Up the T-Band Act of 2020
This bill repeals a provision requiring the reallocation of spectrum currently used by public safety entities and otherwise addresses 9–1–1 fees and charges collected for the purpose of supporting 9–1–1 services.
Specifically, the bill repeals the requirement for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reallocate and auction the 470-512 MHz band (referred to as the T-Band spectrum). The T-Band spectrum is a frequency range currently utilized by public safety entities in certain urban areas.
The bill also requires the FCC to issue rules designating acceptable purposes and functions for the obligation or expenditure of 9–1–1 fees or charges. Such purposes and functions shall be limited to the support and implementation of 9–1–1 services and the operational expenses of public safety answering points (i.e., the points where emergency calls are routed), but a state or taxing jurisdiction may petition the FCC for a determination that other purposes or functions should be treated as acceptable purposes or functions.
In addition, the bill establishes the Ending 9–1–1 Fee Diversion Now Strike Force, to which the FCC must submit any evidence it obtains that a state or taxing jurisdiction is diverting 9–1–1 fees or charges. The strike force must (1) study how the federal government can end such diversion through a determination of the effectiveness of laws and other constraints, (2) consider whether criminal penalties should be implemented to prevent further diversion, and (3) determine the impacts of such diversion.
Recorded votes 1
Newest first. Open one to see how every member voted.
Cosponsors 24
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 10, 2019 to May 1, 2020; 3 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-TX | Al Green | Original | Jan 10, 2019 |
| R-NY | Lee M. Zeldin | Original | Jan 10, 2019 |
| R-NY | Peter T. King | Original | Jan 10, 2019 |
| D-NY | Max Rose | Mar 7, 2019 | |
| D-CA | Adam B. Schiff | Apr 12, 2019 | |
| D-NY | Nita M. Lowey | Apr 12, 2019 | |
| D-CA | Norma J. Torres | Apr 12, 2019 | |
| D-MA | Stephen F. Lynch | May 9, 2019 | |
| D-CA | Grace F. Napolitano | Jun 12, 2019 | |
| D-NJ | Bill Pascrell, Jr. | Sep 19, 2019 | |
| D-NY | Nydia M. Velázquez | Oct 4, 2019 | |
| D-MA | Seth Moulton | Oct 4, 2019 | |
| D-NY | Carolyn B. Maloney | Oct 11, 2019 | |
| D-NY | Grace Meng | Oct 16, 2019 | |
| D-NY | Kathleen M. Rice | Oct 16, 2019 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred Jan 10, 2019Markup Jul 15, 2020Reported Sep 18, 2020 |
| Communications and Technology Subcommittee | Referred Jan 25, 2019Hearings Feb 27, 2020Markup Mar 10, 2020Reported Mar 10, 2020 | |
| Senate | Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee | Referred Sep 24, 2020 |
Actions 19
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Sep 24, 2020Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Sep 23, 2020Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H4773-4774)
- Sep 23, 2020Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 410 - 5 (Roll no. 201). (text: CR 9/21/2020 H4614-4615)
- Sep 23, 2020Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Sep 23, 2020The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
In the Congressional Record 5
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.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Debate and remarks S6016, S6017 | Edward J. Markey D-MA, John Barrasso R-WY | Oct 1, 2020 |
| House | Notices H5050Estimated budget effects of H.R. 451, Helping Medicaid Offer Maternity Services (Helping MOMS) Act | John A. Yarmuth D-KY | Sep 29, 2020 |
| House | Recorded votes H4773enactLists H4774Votes recorded by proxy on H.R. 451, Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act | — | Sep 23, 2020 |
| House | Debate and remarks H4652 | Lee M. Zeldin R-NY | Sep 22, 2020 |
| House | Debate and remarks H4614–H4616Text printed H4614Notices H4639Estimated budget effects of H.R. 451, Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act | Greg Gianforte R-MT, Jerry McNerney D-CA, John A. Yarmuth D-KY | Sep 21, 2020 |
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.
Committee report
Constitutional authority
The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 165, no. 5, January 10, 2019, page H464.
Printed hearings 2
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serial No. 116-105 | STRENGTHENING COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS TO HELP AMERICANS IN CRISIS215 pages | Energy and Commerce Committee | Feb 27, 2020 |
| Serial No. 116-54 | OUR WIRELESS FUTURE: BUILDING A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO SPECTRUM POLICY210 pages | Energy and Commerce Committee | Jul 16, 2019 |
Related bills 4
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 2165 | 9–1–1 Fee Integrity Act | Related bill | Apr 10, 2019 |
| S 2748 | Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act of 2019 | Identical bill | Oct 30, 2019 |
| HR 5085 | Don't Break Up the T-Band Act of 2018 | Reintroduction of | Mar 2, 2018 |
| HR 5928 | FIRST RESPONDER Act of 2020 | Related bill | Feb 27, 2020 |
Titles 6
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To repeal the section of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 that requires the Federal Communications Commission to reallocate and auction the T-Band spectrum.
- Official Titles as Amended by House
- To repeal the requirement to reallocate and auction the T-Band spectrum, to amend the Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act of 1999 to clarify acceptable 9-1-1 obligations or expenditures, and for other purposes.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act of 2019
- Short Title(s) as Reported to House
- Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act of 2020
- Short Title(s) as Passed House
- Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act of 2020
- Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text
- Don’t Break Up the T-Band Act of 2020
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications.
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Sep 24, 2020Referred in Senate
- Sep 23, 2020Engrossed in House
- Sep 18, 2020Reported in House
- Jan 10, 2019Introduced in House
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.
