House Armed Services OKs Anti-Ligado FY21 NDAA; Senate Gets Amendments Deal
The House Armed Services Committee advanced its FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (HR-6395) Wednesday on a 56-0 vote. The committee added two anti-Ligado amendments to the measure (see 2007010070). Additional amendments House Armed Services advanced include several that would…
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implement March recommendations of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission (see 2003110076). Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., meanwhile, was able reach a deal on a manager’s amendment to that committee’s FY21 NDAA (S-4049), which also has anti-Ligado language. The manager’s amendment now includes language from the Utilizing Strategic Allied (USA) Telecom Act (HR-6624/S-3189) and the Open Technology Fund Authorization Act (HR-6621/S-3820). HR-6624/S-3189 aims to fund creation of an NTIA-managed open radio access network R&D fund to spur movement to open-architecture, software-based wireless technologies (see 2001140067). The modified text would repurpose $75 million from the FCC Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Fund for R&D purposes. The original HR-6621/S-3189 would have provided more, which would have been drawn from spectrum auction proceeds. HR-6621/S-3820 would establish the Open Technology Fund as an independent grantee of the U.S. Agency for Global Media charged with “countering internet censorship and repressive surveillance and protecting the internet as a platform for the free exchange of ideas." The new Inhofe manager's amendment, as earlier, includes language from at least three other tech and telecom bills: the Developing Innovation and Growing the Internet of Things (Digit) Act (S-1611), Deepfake Report Act (S-2065) and Harvesting American Cybersecurity Knowledge through Education (Hacked) Act (S-2775). Senate leaders agreed to vote once the Senate returns from a two-week recess on an amendment to attach the text of the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (Chips) for America Act. S-3933 would allocate $10 billion to match state and local incentives and direct the Commerce Department to establish a $3 billion grant program.