II 

Calendar No. 113 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 88 

[Report No. 115–90] 

To ensure appropriate spectrum planning and interagency coordination to 

support the Internet of Things. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 10, 2017 

Mrs. FISCHER (for herself, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. GARDNER, and Mr. SCHATZ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

JUNE 5, 2017 

Reported by Mr. THUNE, without amendment 

A BILL 

To ensure appropriate spectrum planning and interagency 

coordination to support the Internet of Things. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Developing Innovation 

5 and Growing the Internet of Things Act’’ or ‘‘DIGIT 

6 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

2 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

3 (1) the Internet of Things refers to the growing 

4 number of connected and interconnected devices; 

5 (2) estimates indicate that more than 

6 50,000,000,000 devices will be connected to the 

7 Internet by the year 2020; 

8 (3) the Internet of Things has the potential to 

9 generate trillions of dollars in new economic activity 

10 around the world; 

11 (4) businesses across the United States can de12 velop new services and products, improve operations, 

13 simplify logistics, cut costs, and pass savings on to 

14 consumers by utilizing the Internet of Things and 

15 related innovations; 

16 (5) the United States leads the world in the de17 velopment of technologies that support the Internet 

18 and the United States technology sector is well-posi19 tioned to lead in the development of technologies for 

20 the Internet of Things; 

21 (6) the United States Government can imple22 ment this technology to better deliver services to the 

23 public; and 

24 (7) the United States Senate unanimously 

25 passed Senate Resolution 110, 114th Congress, 

26 agreed to March 24, 2015, calling for a national 


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1 strategy for the development of the Internet of 

2 Things. 

3 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con4 gress that policies governing the Internet of Things should 

5 maximize the potential and development of the Internet 

6 of Things to benefit all stakeholders, including businesses, 

7 governments, and consumers. 

8 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

9 In this Act: 

10 (1) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON11 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con12 gress’’ means— 

13 (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

14 and Transportation of the Senate; and 

15 (B) the Committee on Energy and Com16 merce of the House of Representatives. 

17 (2) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 

18 means the Federal Communications Commission. 

19 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

20 the Secretary of Commerce. 

21 (4) STEERING COMMITTEE.—The term ‘‘steer22 ing committee’’ means the steering committee estab23 lished under section 4(e)(1). 


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1 (5) WORKING GROUP.—The term ‘‘working 

2 group’’ means the working group convened under 

3 section 4(a). 

4 SEC. 4. FEDERAL WORKING GROUP. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall convene a 

6 working group of Federal stakeholders for the purpose of 

7 providing recommendations and a report to Congress re8 lated to the aspects of the Internet of Things described 

9 in subsection (b). 

10 (b) DUTIES.—The working group shall— 

11 (1) identify any Federal regulations, statutes, 

12 grant practices, budgetary or jurisdictional chal13 lenges, and other sector-specific policies that are in14 hibiting or could inhibit the development of the 

15 Internet of Things; 

16 (2) consider policies or programs that encour17 age and improve coordination among Federal agen18 cies with jurisdiction over the Internet of Things; 

19 (3) consider any findings or recommendations 

20 made by the steering committee and, where appro21 priate, act to implement those recommendations; and 

22 (4) examine— 

23 (A) how Federal agencies can benefit from 

24 utilizing the Internet of Things; 


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1 (B) the use of Internet of Things tech2 nology by Federal agencies as of the date the 

3 working group performs the examination; 

4 (C) the preparedness and ability of Federal 

5 agencies to adopt Internet of Things technology 

6 in the future; and 

7 (D) any additional security measures that 

8 Federal agencies may need to take to— 

9 (i) safely and securely use the Inter10 net of Things; and 

11 (ii) enhance the resiliency of Federal 

12 systems against cyber threats to the Inter13 net of Things. 

14 (c) AGENCY REPRESENTATIVES.—In convening the 

15 working group under subsection (a), the Secretary shall 

16 have discretion to appoint representatives and shall spe17 cifically consider seeking representation from— 

18 (1) the Department of Commerce, including— 

19 (A) the National Telecommunications and 

20 Information Administration; 

21 (B) the National Institute of Standards 

22 and Technology; and 

23 (C) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

24 Administration; 

25 (2) the Department of Transportation; 


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1 (3) the Department of Homeland Security; 

2 (4) the Office of Management and Budget; 

3 (5) the National Science Foundation; 

4 (6) the Commission; 

5 (7) the Federal Trade Commission; 

6 (8) the Office of Science and Technology Policy; 

7 and 

8 (9) the Department of Energy. 

9 (d) NONGOVERNMENTAL STAKEHOLDERS.—The 

10 working group shall consult with nongovernmental stake11 holders, including— 

12 (1) the steering committee; 

13 (2) information and communications technology 

14 manufacturers, suppliers, service providers, and ven15 dors; 

16 (3) subject matter experts representing indus17 trial sectors other than the technology sector that 

18 can benefit from the Internet of Things, including 

19 the agriculture and health care sectors; 

20 (4) small, medium, and large businesses; 

21 (5) think tanks and academia; 

22 (6) nonprofits and consumer groups; 

23 (7) rural stakeholders; and 

24 (8) other stakeholders with relevant expertise, 

25 as determined by the Secretary. 


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1 (e) STEERING COMMITTEE.— 

2 (1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established 

3 within the Department of Commerce a steering com4 mittee to advise the working group. 

5 (2) DUTIES.—The steering committee shall ad6 vise the working group with regard to— 

7 (A) the identification of any Federal regu8 lations, statutes, grant practices, programs, 

9 budgetary or jurisdictional challenges, and 

10 other sector-specific policies that are inhibiting 

11 or could inhibit the development of the Internet 

12 of Things; 

13 (B) whether adequate spectrum is available 

14 to support the growing Internet of Things and 

15 what legal or regulatory barriers may exist to 

16 providing any spectrum needed in the future; 

17 (C) policies or programs that— 

18 (i) promote or are related to the pri19 vacy of individuals who use or are affected 

20 by the Internet of Things; 

21 (ii) may enhance the security of the 

22 Internet of Things; 

23 (iii) may protect users of the Internet 

24 of Things; and 


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1 (iv) may encourage coordination 

2 among Federal agencies with jurisdiction 

3 over the Internet of Things; 

4 (D) the opportunities and challenges asso5 ciated with the use of Internet of Things tech6 nology by small businesses; and 

7 (E) any international proceeding, inter8 national negotiation, or other international mat9 ter affecting the Internet of Things to which 

10 the United States is or should be a party. 

11 (3) MEMBERSHIP.—The Secretary shall appoint 

12 to the steering committee members representing a 

13 wide range of stakeholders outside of the Federal 

14 Government with expertise relating to the Internet 

15 of Things, including— 

16 (A) information and communications tech17 nology manufacturers, suppliers, service pro18 viders, and vendors; 

19 (B) subject matter experts representing in20 dustrial sectors other than the technology sector 

21 that can benefit from the Internet of Things, 

22 including the agriculture and health care sec23 tors; 

24 (C) small, medium, and large businesses; 

25 (D) think tanks and academia; 


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1 (E) nonprofit organizations and consumer 

2 groups; 

3 (F) rural stakeholders; and 

4 (G) other stakeholders with relevant exper5 tise, as determined by the Secretary. 

6 (4) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 

7 date of enactment of this Act, the steering com8 mittee shall submit to the working group a report 

9 that includes any findings or recommendations of 

10 the steering committee. 

11 (5) INDEPENDENT ADVICE.— 

12 (A) IN GENERAL.—The steering committee 

13 shall set the agenda of the steering committee 

14 in carrying out the duties of the steering com15 mittee under paragraph (2). 

16 (B) SUGGESTIONS.—The working group 

17 may suggest topics or items for the steering 

18 committee to study, and the steering committee 

19 shall take such suggestions into consideration in 

20 carrying out the duties of the steering com21 mittee. 

22 (C) REPORT.—The steering committee 

23 shall ensure that the report submitted under 

24 paragraph (4) is the result of the independent 

25 judgment of the steering committee. 


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1 (6) TERMINATION.—The steering committee 

2 shall terminate on the date on which the working 

3 group submits the report under subsection (f) un4 less, on or before that date, the Secretary files a new 

5 charter for the steering committee under section 9(c) 

6 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. 

7 App.). 

8 (f) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 18 months 

10 after the date of enactment of this Act, the working 

11 group shall submit to the appropriate committees of 

12 Congress a report that includes— 

13 (A) the findings and recommendations of 

14 the working group with respect to the duties of 

15 the working group under subsection (b); 

16 (B) the report submitted by the steering 

17 committee under subsection (e)(4), as the re18 port was received by the working group; 

19 (C) recommendations for action or reasons 

20 for inaction, as applicable, on each rec21 ommendation made by the steering committee 

22 in the report submitted under subsection (e)(4); 

23 and 

24 (D) an accounting of any progress made 

25 by Federal agencies to implement recommendaVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:26 Jun 05, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S88.RS S88

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1 tions made by the working group or the steer2 ing committee. 

3 (2) COPY OF REPORT.—Any committee of Con4 gress, upon request, may obtain a copy of the report 

5 submitted under paragraph (1). 

6 SEC. 5. ASSESSING SPECTRUM NEEDS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Commission, in consultation 

8 with the National Telecommunications and Information 

9 Administration, shall issue a notice of inquiry seeking pub10 lic comment on the current, as of the date of enactment 

11 of this Act, and future spectrum needs of the Internet of 

12 Things. 

13 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—In issuing the notice of inquiry 

14 under subsection (a), the Commission shall seek comments 

15 that consider and evaluate— 

16 (1) whether adequate spectrum is available to 

17 support the growing Internet of Things; 

18 (2) what regulatory barriers may exist to pro19 viding any needed spectrum for the Internet of 

20 Things; and 

21 (3) what the role of licensed and unlicensed 

22 spectrum is and will be in the growth of the Internet 

23 of Things. 

24 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

25 of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to 


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1 the appropriate committees of Congress a report summa2 rizing the comments submitted in response to the notice 

3 of inquiry issued under subsection (a). 


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Calendar No. 113 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 88 

[Report No. 115–90] 

A BILL 

To ensure appropriate spectrum planning and 

of Things. interagency coordination to support the Internet 

JUNE 5, 2017 

Reported without amendment 


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