Sponsors
The bill requires a federal spectrum inventory and public reporting that could free spectrum for broadband and improve transparency, but it imposes taxpayer and agency costs and creates potential security and staffing risks if sensitive details are not carefully handled.
Consumers and businesses nationwide: identifying unused or underused federal spectrum could free capacity for broadband and wireless services, improving connectivity and supporting economic activity.
Federal agencies and employees: creation of a clearer, band-level inventory of federal spectrum holdings will enable more efficient reuse or reallocation for commercial and public services.
Taxpayers, Congress, and the public: an unclassified report (with an optional classified annex) increases transparency about how federal spectrum is used, supporting oversight and public accountability.
State governments and federal employees: publicly releasing detailed spectrum-usage information could pose national security risks if sensitive details are not fully confined to the classified annex.
Federal employees and agencies: compiling a comprehensive, band-level audit will require diverting staff time and effort from other priorities to coordinate data collection and reporting.
Taxpayers: preparing a nationwide spectrum audit will impose administrative costs on agencies and the Commerce Department that are ultimately funded by taxpayers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires the Commerce Assistant Secretary to audit all federal electromagnetic spectrum holdings and report unclassified findings to Congress within 18 months.
Introduced February 27, 2025 by Mike Lee · Last progress February 27, 2025
Requires the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to perform a nationwide audit of electromagnetic spectrum assigned or allocated to every Federal entity and to report the results to Congress within 18 months of enactment. The report must be unclassified (a classified annex may be added) and must list, for each federal-held band, the band itself, the purposes and amount used for each purpose, geographic assignment, whether use is exclusive or shared, and any unused portions; the Assistant Secretary must consult with each federal entity and coordinate with the Secretary of Transportation to avoid duplicating a related audit.