A group of bipartisan House lawmakers introduced legislation “to direct the [FCC] to extend to private land use restrictions its rule relating to reasonable accommodation of amateur service communications,” its title said. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., introduced HR-1301 Wednesday and it was referred to the Commerce Committee. It has five Democratic and seven Republican co-sponsors. Its text isn't online.
The Songwriter Equity Act was reintroduced Wednesday by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., the National Music Publishers’ Association said in a news release. “The legislation modernizes sections 114 and 115 of the Copyright Act to achieve fairer royalty rates for songwriters,” it said. SEA is expected to be one of the key music licensing issues on Capitol Hill this term and could be influenced by the outcome of the Department of Justice’s ongoing consent decree review, lawmakers and music attorneys have told us (see 1412050057). Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Bob Corker, R-Tenn., joined Hatch as co-sponsors, said NMPA. Nine House members, including Reps. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., are co-sponsoring the House legislation, it said. “If songwriters’ royalties must be regulated, they should at least be based on fair market value,” said NMPA CEO David Israelite, citing the same recommendation made in the Copyright Office’s recent music licensing study (see 1502050055).
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators submitted an Internet of Things resolution Wednesday backing a “national vision to promote economic growth and greater consumer empowerment through the Internet of Things.” The resolution follows a Senate Commerce Committee hearing last month on the IoT (see 1502110035). “Our Internet of Things resolution would commit our nation to a national strategy incentivizing the use of new technologies to maximize consumer opportunity and to facilitate economic growth,” said Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb. “This resolution underscores our strong commitment to fostering innovation, protecting consumers, and finding solutions to our toughest problems through technology-driven solutions,” said Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. “The Internet of Things resolution would encourage new opportunities to harness the power of the Internet and develop innovative solutions for people and businesses,” said Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H. “As we work to advance the Internet of Things, we must remain committed to empowering consumers, developing technological safeguards while enabling innovation, and improving the quality of life for future generations,” said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii.
The New Democrat Coalition flagged investment in broadband as part of the economic priorities listed in an agenda released Wednesday. Other priorities included promoting “a free and open Internet as a platform of global innovation” and protecting “our data online and cyber infrastructure.” The U.S. “advantages in technology and innovation can be leveraged with policies that promote public and private investment in the national infrastructure needed to grow the economy and a recommitment to improving the responsiveness and effectiveness of government, restoring Americans’ faith in our ability to solve real problems,” it said. The coalition comprises about a fourth of the House Democratic caucus and focuses on fiscal responsibility and the economy.
“Operational demands” have driven up the FCC’s budget request, which is $388 million for FY 2016, agency Managing Director Jon Wilkins plans to testify Wednesday before the House Communications Subcommittee. “For FY 16, the Commission has been forced to adjust its costs upward to manage and execute activities leading to the termination of our headquarters lease in 2017,” Wilkins says in his written testimony. “Over 70 percent of our requested increase supports ‘unavoidable’ costs such as the restacking and move, inflationary increases, and the OIG [Office of Inspector General] base increase.” The hearing, scheduled for 10:30 a.m. in 2322 Rayburn, is focused on FCC reauthorization. Wilkins will argue that the FCC headquarters transition is “an opportunity to create greater cost savings and efficiencies by significantly reducing the Commission's footprint and instituting new management techniques that encourage greater use of shared space,” saving “over $100 million over the life of our new post-2017 lease.” He will say FCC licensees “will bear the brunt of the move” and that the agency is attempting to “assess fees in a fair and equitable manner,” and will defend the agency as fiscally responsible. This FY 2016 budget will “properly align USF expenditures with cost outlays,” thereby “shifting USF funds to cover our salary and compensation expenditures directly related to USF activities,” he will testify. He plans to discuss the “tough budget decisions” the FCC faced as a result of receiving $36 million less than requested last year. “Flat funding has led to staff reductions,” he will say, also warning of big information technology challenges given the agency’s aging systems. “Limited funds have delayed many improvements and threaten to cost us more each day that we are unable to move ahead.”
The FCC should “explore viable solutions in the 10 GHz band,” bipartisan lawmakers in both Houses told FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler in a letter released Tuesday. The agency should explore “potential sharing opportunities” there, said Reps. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif.; Brett Guthrie, R-Ky.; Bob Latta, R-Ohio; Doris Matsui, D-Calif.; and Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla. They've backed legislation telling the FCC to explore opportunities in the upper 5 GHz band. “Sharing opportunities in the 10 GHz band could make more spectrum available and provide another avenue for consumers and innovators to tap into the Internet economy,” they said: “This band could be used for expanding Wi-Fi capabilities to bring Internet access to more Americans.” Mimosa CEO Brian Hinman praised the letter and wants to “work with the FCC toward a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to share use of the 10 GHz band in the near future,” he said in a statement. Wireless Internet Service Providers Association President Chuck Hogg is “greatly encouraged by the letter” and said “seeking out and reallocating underutilized spectrum will become more and more vital” over time as broadband expansion becomes more important.
Officials from Pandora and the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) are among the scheduled witnesses at the Senate Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee’s March 10 hearing (see 1502200042) on the Justice Department’s ongoing consent decree review. A subcommittee news release Tuesday said the witnesses are Mike Dowdle, Bonneville International general counsel; Jodie Griffin, Public Knowledge senior staff attorney; Chris Harrison, Pandora vice president-business affairs; ASCAP CEO Beth Matthews; Lee Thomas Miller, Nashville Songwriters Association International president; and Matt Pincus, Songs Music Publishing CEO. DOJ is reviewing ASCAP and Broadcast Music Inc.’s consent decrees, which bar performing rights organizations (PROs) from refusing a license to any organization that requests one, leading to rate negotiations. Broadcasters are reaping the rewards of a consent decree process that unfairly compensates songwriters, music attorneys have said. Broadcasters have said the decrees help to keep the potential monopoly power of PROs at bay. The outcome of the DOJ review could influence the nature and timing of related legislation expected this Congress (see 1501070052). The hearing is at 10 a.m. in 226 Dirksen.
Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., and Tom Udall, D-N.M., became co-sponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act (S. Con. Res. 4) last week. The NAB-backed resolution opposes any new taxes or royalties for terrestrial broadcasters (see 1502250032). Senate and House (H. Con. Res. 17) versions of the resolution were introduced last week; the latter has 108 co-sponsors.
Reps. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., and Tom Marino, R-Pa., introduced the Law Enforcement Access to Data Stored Abroad (Leads) Act Friday, a joint news release said. The bill is the House companion to a Senate bill introduced Feb. 12 by Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, Dean Heller, R-Nev., and Chris Coons, D-Del. The Leads Act would protect U.S. data stored abroad by "reforming the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) to promote international comity and law enforcement cooperation,” a Hatch news release said earlier this month. “If we cannot accomplish the act of passing this reasonable legislation, U.S. companies will find it increasingly difficult to compete overseas and online user privacy will diminish,” Marino said in his release. “U.S. companies need clear guidelines on when they have to turn over electronic communications to law enforcement if that information is stored abroad,” DelBene said. “The current uncertainty harms U.S. businesses and their customers, and does not well-serve our foreign relationships.” Leads Act supporters include Apple, AT&T, Microsoft, the Telecommunications Industry Association and Verizon, the House release said. “Data localization is being pursued by countries around the globe in the absence of congressional action to establish a rule of law,” Microsoft said in blog post Friday. Microsoft said it anticipates working with House Judiciary Committee members to ensure the bill’s passage.
Two Senate Republicans want information on many agencies’ inspectors general, including those of the FCC, FTC and Commerce Department. Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, sent letters to 72 agencies’ inspectors general Friday. “Congress often hears when an agency stonewalls an inspector general but not always,” Grassley said in a statement. “This letter gives every inspector general the chance to weigh in on problems. If an inspector general doesn’t have interference problems, Congress ought to know that, too.” The senators wanted to know of any agency attempts to interfere with the independence of agency IGs.