Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act

This bill makes the FCC post and keep an online list of telecom companies and other FCC license holders that have certain types of foreign ownership tied to countries named in federal law. The list must also include companies that U.S. national security agencies say are controlled by such foreign entities, even if that control isn’t through a reported ownership share. The goal is to make it easy for the public and policymakers to see which communications companies have these foreign ties .

The FCC has 120 days after the law takes effect to publish the first list. It must write new rules within 18 months to collect any missing ownership information across other FCC authorizations, then add those companies to the list within a year after the rules are issued. The list must be updated at least once a year. To speed things up, these information requests are exempt from normal paperwork limits .

• Who is affected: Companies that hold FCC licenses or other approvals and have certain foreign ownership or control linked to countries named in existing U.S. law; this includes spectrum licensees and undersea cable landing license holders .
• What changes: The FCC must publish and annually update a public list of these companies, and collect any needed information to identify them .
• When: Initial list within 120 days of enactment; rulemaking within 18 months; additions within one year after the rules; annual updates thereafter .