Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency

Summary#

This bill directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to publish an online list of entities that hold certain FCC licenses or authorizations and that have specified foreign ownership or control. Within 120 days of enactment the FCC must list entities holding licenses issued under section 309(j) of the Communications Act and licenses under the Cable Landing Licensing Act (and related executive order) when a covered entity holds reportable equity or voting interest or an appropriate national security agency finds control. The FCC must issue rules within 18 months to identify other types of FCC authorizations with reportable foreign ownership, and must add those entities to the list within one year after issuing those rules. The bill requires annual updates to the list and exempts FCC information collection under this section from the Paperwork Reduction Act. "Covered country" is defined by reference to 10 U.S.C. 4872(f)(2). A "covered entity" includes the government of a covered country, an entity organized under that country’s laws, or a subsidiary of such an entity.

What it means for you#

  • The FCC will make a public, online list of licensees and other authorization holders that meet the bill's foreign ownership or control criteria.
  • If you hold the specified FCC licenses and have a covered entity with reportable ownership or control, your company may be included on that list.
  • The FCC will create rules to identify additional types of authorizations that must be checked for foreign ownership, and will add those entities after the rulemaking.
  • The list will be updated at least once a year.

Expenses#

No publicly available information on costs or funding. The bill does exempt the FCC’s related information collection from the Paperwork Reduction Act.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information on proponents' stated views or legislative findings in the provided text.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information on opponents' stated views in the provided text.