House Passes NTIA Reauthorization, Rural Broadband Protection Acts
The House also passed the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which the Senate passed in February.
Jake Neenan
WASHINGTON, April 28, 2025 – The House passed Monday five telecom and communications bills, including efforts to require more vetting for high-cost fund participants and codify modern responsibilities of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
Representatives also passed a bill aimed at criminalizing the distribution of nonconsensual intimate images made with artificial intelligence.
NTIA Reauthorization Act
The bill would reauthorize the National Telecommunications and Information Administration – something not done since its inception in the nineties – and codify its offices of spectrum management and international affairs.
The bill would also promote the NTIA’s top official within the Department of Commerce and consolidate some reporting requirements.
The agency coordinates federal spectrum use, represents the executive branch in international telecom debates and before the Federal Communications Commission, and manages more than $48 billion in broadband grant funding from the Infrastructure Act.
“Congress has not reauthorized the NTIA since 1992, before many of these responsibilities existed or were relevant,” said Rep. Bob Latta, R-Ohio, the lead sponsor of the bill. “This legislation ensures NTIA has the right structure and resources to fulfill its 21st century mission.”
The Trump administration is mulling changes to the NTIA’s largest Infrastructure Act program, a $42.45 billion effort to expand broadband infrastructure, over the strenuous objections of Democrats – and some Republicans – in Congress. The bill still had bipartisan support Monday, with Reps. Doris Matsui, D-Calif, and April McClain Delaney, D-Md., speaking in favor of it.
The bill was passed by voice vote Monday afternoon.
Rural Broadband Protection Act
The bill would require the Federal Communications Commission to set up a vetting process for new participants in its high-cost program, which subsidizes rural broadband infrastructure.
Under the bill, applicants for funding would have to submit a proposal proving it has “the technical, financial, and operational capabilities” to deploy its proposed network, and “a reasonable business plan” for doing so.
Defaulting on a new award would also carry higher penalties. The FCC’s high-cost fund saw some large reverse auction winners default in 2022 after the agency determined they couldn’t reasonably serve the areas they had committed to.
The agency’s roughly $8 billion-per-year Universal Service Fund, which funds the high-cost program, is being challenged in court. The Supreme Court heard arguments last month and is expected to rule on the constitutionality of the fund later this year.
The bill passed by voice vote. The Senate Commerce Committee advanced a version of the bill in February.
Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act
The bill would require the FCC to publish a list of each license or authorization holder with ties to a foreign adversary like China within 120 days. The agency grants certifications to companies for subsea cable operation, participation in broadband subsidies, wireless spectrum use, and other things.
The bill would also direct the agency to initiate a rulemaking to collect the necessary information from license holders. It passed by voice vote.
ROUTERS Act
The bill would direct the Commerce Department to conduct a study on the cybersecurity vulnerabilities of consumer Wi-Fi routers and modems produced by companies with ties to foreign adversaries. It would be due within one year.
The bill passed by voice vote. The Senate Commerce Committee cleared a version of the bill last month.
FUTURE Networks Act
The bill would direct the FCC to establish a “6G task force,” which would be responsible for producing a report on the standards development process of 6G wireless technology.
The task force would be composed of representatives from telecom companies, public interest groups, academia, and all levels of government, including Tribal nations. A draft report would be due within 180 days.
The move would be an effort to ensure future global standards around wireless communication were favorable to the U.S. and American companies, Matsui said.
The bill passed by voice vote.
TAKE IT DOWN Act
The House passed the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which criminalized the distribution of AI-generated deepfake pornography and sexual images. The Senate passed an identical version of the bill in February, and it will now head to President Donald Trump’s desk to be signed into law.
The bill sets up a 48-hour deadline for online platforms to remove material flagged under the law by a victim. It’s backed by the White House and contonued to receive bipartisan support in the House Monday. The bill advanced by a wide margin, with 409 votes for and two votes against it. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, and Eric Burlison, R-Missouri.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation and other consumer groups warned earlier this month the takedown provision could be abused by frivolous requests.
“This bill mandates a notice-and-takedown system that threatens free expression, user privacy, and due process, without meaningfully addressing the problem it claims to solve,” EFF wrote in an April 10 blog post.
Other bills
The House also passed bills that would require connected device manufacturers to notify consumers if it contains a camera or microphone, and require the Department of Commerce to study opportunities for foreign investment in American semiconductor manufacturing and the feasibility of manufacturing critical infrastructure in the United States.
