I 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3642 

To amend the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to require 

the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology 

to document operational requirements, assist with national voluntary 

consensus standards, and conduct technology research to advance a nationwide interoperable public safety broadband network, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 13, 2011 

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas (for herself and Ms. EDWARDS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 

Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 

the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to require the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to document operational requirements, assist with national voluntary consensus standards, and conduct technology research to 

advance a nationwide interoperable public safety 

broadband network, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Public Safety 

3 Broadband Network Enabling Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. PUBLIC SAFETY BROADBAND NETWORK STAND5 ARDS AND RESEARCH. 

6 The National Institute of Standards and Technology 

7 Act is amended— 

8 (1) by redesignating section 34 as section 35; 

9 and 

10 (2) by inserting after section 33 the following: 

11 ‘‘SEC. 34. PUBLIC SAFETY BROADBAND NETWORK STAND12 ARDS, RESEARCH, AND DEMONSTRATION 

13 TESTBED. 

14 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall— 

15 ‘‘(1) document operational requirements for a 

16 nationwide interoperable public safety broadband 

17 network; 

18 ‘‘(2) if necessary and practical, help to accel19 erate the development of national voluntary con20 sensus standards for a nationwide interoperable pub21 lic safety broadband network, including standards 

22 that address the requirements documented under 

23 paragraph (1); 

24 ‘‘(3) conduct research and assist with the devel25 opment of technologies and applications to advance 

26 wireless public safety communications; and 


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1 ‘‘(4) continue to develop and maintain a dem2 onstration testbed for use by manufacturers, pro3 viders of commercial mobile services (as defined in 

4 section 332 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 

5 U.S.C. 332)), and public safety agencies to evaluate 

6 advanced broadband communications equipment and 

7 software for use by the public safety community. 

8 ‘‘(b) RESEARCH ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out sub9 section (a)(3), the Director shall— 

10 ‘‘(1) accelerate the development of communica11 tion capabilities between currently deployed public 

12 safety narrowband systems and a nationwide inter13 operable public safety broadband network; 

14 ‘‘(2) seek to develop technologies, processes, 

15 and architectures that improve network security, re16 siliency, and trustworthiness; and 

17 ‘‘(3) develop and implement a research road18 map that addresses the wireless communications 

19 needs of public safety entities beyond what can be 

20 provided by the current generation of broadband 

21 technology. 

22 ‘‘(c) COORDINATION.— 

23 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the activi24 ties described in this section, the Director shall coVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:18 Dec 18, 2011 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3642.IH H3642

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1 ordinate with relevant Federal agencies, the private 

2 sector, and public safety organizations. 

3 ‘‘(2) WORKING GROUPS.—The Director shall 

4 convene working groups of relevant government and 

5 commercial stakeholders to achieve the requirements 

6 of this section, as appropriate.’’. 

7 SEC. 3. SPECTRUM AUCTION PROCEEDS. 

8 From any trust fund established in the Treasury of 

9 the United States after October 1, 2011, consisting of pro10 ceeds from the auction of electromagnetic spectrum, there 

11 shall be made available to the Director of the National 

12 Institute of Standards and Technology, without further 

13 appropriation, $300,000,000 to carry out section 34 of the 

14 National Institute of Standards and Technology Act, as 

15 amended by section 2. Such amount shall remain available 

16 until expended. 

Æ 


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