ITS Codification Act

Summary#

This bill adds a new section to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration law to formally establish the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS). ITS will be a federal test center run under the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information. ITS will study radio frequency emissions, how radio signals travel, ways to share spectrum between federal and non-federal users, and how systems handle interference. The Assistant Secretary may give ITS more related duties and allow ITS to make agreements under several existing authorities.

The bill also creates an ITS initiative to support development of emergency communication and tracking technologies. The focus is on locating people trapped in confined or shielded places, such as underground mines, high-rise buildings, or collapsed structures, where normal radios work poorly. ITS must work with private companies and federal agencies to do a needs assessment, help develop technical specifications and conformance architecture, and report the assessment to Congress within 18 months of enactment.

What it means for you#

• A federal research and testing center (ITS) will be codified by law and have a clear role studying spectrum and interference issues.
• ITS will lead an effort to improve emergency comms and tracking in places where signals are weak or blocked.
• The initiative will involve private sector partners and other federal agencies and will produce a public report to Congress within 18 months.

Expenses#

No publicly available information on authorized funding or estimated costs.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.