Sponsors (5)
The bill improves transparency and speeds regulatory oversight of foreign ties in telecom/cable licensees—bolstering national security and market confidence—while imposing reputational and regulatory costs on affected companies and reducing privacy safeguards that could expose sensitive ownership information.
Consumers, taxpayers, and federal/state security agencies gain clearer, public information about which telecom and cable-license holders have ties to covered foreign countries, enabling more informed risk assessment and oversight of communications infrastructure.
Broadband and communications providers without covered-country ties can use the public list to reassure customers and business partners, helping preserve market trust and potentially preventing customer loss to competitors with disclosed foreign links.
Federal regulators will get faster, more actionable ownership data because the FCC is directed to collect ownership information and that collection is exempted from the Paperwork Reduction Act, allowing quicker prioritization of security reviews and enforcement.
Companies identified as having ties to covered foreign countries (including small and regional providers) may suffer reputational harm, lost customers, or contract cancellations due to public disclosure of foreign links.
Foreign-owned subsidiaries or entities with complex ownership structures could face regulatory discrimination, extra compliance burdens, or higher business costs—even if they are organized under non-covered jurisdictions—because of heightened scrutiny tied to disclosed ownership.
Exempting the FCC's collection of ownership information from the Paperwork Reduction Act and publicly listing ownership details reduces procedural privacy safeguards and raises the risk that sensitive corporate ownership information could be misused or subject entities to political or economic pressure.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires the Federal Communications Commission to publish and maintain an online list identifying FCC licensees and other authorized communications entities that have reportable ownership or control links to governments, companies, or subsidiaries of certain foreign "covered" countries. The bill sets deadlines: an initial list for certain wireless and cable-landing licensees within 120 days, a rulemaking to identify other affected authorizations within 18 months, placement of those entities on the list within one year after the rules, and at least annual updates; it also exempts the collection of information under this provision from the Paperwork Reduction Act.
Introduced January 31, 2025 by Robert J. Wittman · Last progress April 29, 2025