Spectrum Coordination Act

Summary

Requires the NTIA Assistant Secretary and the FCC to increase public disclosure and interagency coordination around major spectrum decisions that could affect federal spectrum users or trigger competitive bidding. For each covered “spectrum action,” NTIA must put key dates, the federal entities potentially affected, and redacted summaries of federal technical/procedural and NTIA policy concerns into the public record by the end of the FCC comment period, and the FCC must publish an interagency coordination summary in the Federal Register for final rules addressing such actions. Also requires the FCC and NTIA to update their existing Memorandum of Understanding within three years of enactment and then at least every four years to reflect changing technology, procedure, and policy circumstances.

• Requires NTIA to publicly file key dates, impacted federal entities, and summaries of federal technical/procedural and NTIA policy concerns for covered spectrum actions by the end of the FCC comment period.
• Defines "spectrum actions" as proposed reallocations likely to trigger competitive bidding or licensing that could affect Federal spectrum operations.
• Permits redaction of classified or otherwise exempt information from public summaries.
• Requires the FCC to publish an interagency coordination summary in the Federal Register for final APA rules involving spectrum actions, describing notice, concerns, and resolutions.
• Mandates an update to the NTIA–FCC Memorandum of Understanding within three years and at least every four years thereafter to reflect changing technology and policy.
• Aims to increase transparency and recordkeeping about interagency concerns and how they were resolved, without creating new spending programs.
• Places new administrative and reporting responsibilities on NTIA and the FCC but does not direct funding.
• May reduce conflicts or surprise impacts on federal spectrum users by documenting and publicizing coordination steps.