Commerce Subcommittee Advances Bills on NTIA Spectrum, AI Oversight Reauthorization

WASHINGTON, July 12, 2023 – The Subcommittee on Communications and Technology on Wednesday advanced several pieces of legislation to reauthorize the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s oversight on matters including spectrum management and artificial intelligence after it was last reviewed in 1992.

The Spectrum Relocation Enhancement Act proposed in May by Rep. Doris Matsui, D-CA, revises the Spectrum Relocation Fund, which compensates federal agencies to open spectrum bands for commercial use. The legislation would provide federal entities more flexibility in their evaluation of spectrum for sharing or relocation, especially in light of recent worries about the difficulties of obtaining spectrum licenses for commercial needs due to limited supply.

Another bill to pass the markup was the AI Accountability Act, introduced in May by Reps. Josh Harder, D-CA, and Robin Kelly, D-IL, which would require the NTIA to examine accountability standards for AI systems used in communications networks. The bill is part of a wider push to enhance the transparency of government’s use of AI to communicate with the public.

The subcommittee also approved the Diaspora Link Act to assess the feasibility of a trans-Atlantic fiber cable connection between the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Ghana, and Nigeria as well as other key recommendations to consolidate broadband funding programs, develop a national strategy for closing the digital divide and educate the public on cybersecurity issues.

“A lot has changed in the last 31 years, both in the technology sector and at the NTIA,” said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-WA. These legislations would further enforce the NTIA as the “representative of the US in the international telecommunication forum,” she added.

These pieces of legislation are pending full committee votes before proceeding to the floor.