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103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2912

To liberalize controls on the export of telecommunications equipment and

technology in order to promote democracy and free communication and

enhance economic competitiveness.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

AUGUST 6, 1993

Mr. WYDEN (for himself, Mr. KOLBE, Mr. SKAGGS, and Ms. DUNN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign

Affairs.

A BILL

To liberalize controls on the export of telecommunications

equipment and technology in order to promote democracy

and free communication and enhance economic competitiveness.

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

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

4 (a) The Congress makes the following findings:

5 (1) The free exchange of ideas and information

6 through modern, reliable telecommunications equip7 ment fosters the development of democratic institu8 tions, the promotion of free market economic re-
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1 forms, and the facilitation of international com2 merce.

3 (2) Exports of advanced telecommunications

4 equipment and technology contribute to United

5 States economic competitiveness and high-skill, high6 wage jobs in the United States.

7 (3) Export restrictions on telecommunications

8 equipment and technology are outdated, controlling

9 the export of equipment and technology that is more

10 than 10 years old and has over 15 times less capac11 ity than similar equipment and technology in use

12 today in the United States.

13 (4) Foreign availability of telecommunications

14 equipment and technology exists both from countries

15 that do not belong to or cooperate with the Coordi16 nating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls,

17 and from within countries to which exports of such

18 equipment and technology are controlled by agree19 ment of the Coordinating Committee.

20 SEC. 2. EXPORT CONTROLS ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS.

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 5(c) of the Export Admin22 istration Act of 1979 (50 U.S.C. App. 2404(c)) is amend23 ed by adding at the end the following:

24 ‘‘(8)(A) The Secretary shall, not later than 30

25 days after the date of the enactment of this para-
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1 graph, propose to the Coordinating Committee that

2 exports of telecommunications equipment and tele3 communications technology for civil end uses shall

4 not require a validated license for export to any of

5 the republics of the former Soviet Union, the Peo6 ple’s Republic of China, Poland, the Czech Republic,

7 Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Estonia,

8 Lithuania, or Latvia.

9 ‘‘(B) For purposes of this paragraph—

10 ‘‘(i) the term ‘telecommunications equip11 ment’ includes—

12 ‘‘(I) telephone switching systems and

13 stored program controlled communications

14 switching systems, including related fea15 tures and components that provide services

16 and management of telecommunications

17 networks;

18 ‘‘(II) telecommunications transmission

19 equipment;

20 ‘‘(III) microwave, light wave, and

21 other radio relay, transmitting, or test

22 equipment, and related components and

23 accessories;
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1 ‘‘(IV) telecommunications cables and

2 components, including optical fibers and

3 optical fiber cables;

4 ‘‘(V) equipment containing frequency

5 synthesizers when used in land-based mo6 bile communications systems;

7 ‘‘(VI) equipment described in any of

8 subclauses (I) through (V), or any other

9 telecommunications equipment, that con10 tains lasers;

11 ‘‘(VII) computer hardware and appli12 cation specific software which are related

13 to any of the items described in clauses (I)

14 through (VI) and are required for data

15 communications; and

16 ‘‘(VIII) all spare parts, components,

17 and measuring or test equipment related to

18 any of the items described in subclauses

19 (I) through (VII);

20 ‘‘(ii) the term ‘telecommunications tech21 nology’ means technology related to tele22 communications equipment, including tech23 nology for the production, development, and use

24 of telecommunications equipment;
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1 ‘‘(iii) the term ‘telecommunications net2 works’ includes local area, intracity, intercity,

3 and international telecommunications networks;

4 and

5 ‘‘(iv) the term ‘telecommunications’ means

6 voice, video, and data communications over any

7 public or private network or broadcasting sys8 tem, and services related to such communica9 tions.’’.

10 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after the date

11 of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit

12 to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the

13 Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of

14 the Senate a report certifying that the proposal required

15 by section 5(c)(8) of the Export Administration Act of

16 1979 (as added by subsection (a) of this section) has been

17 made to the members of the Coordinating Committee and

18 outlining the plans to gain the concurrence of the other

19 members of the Committee in the proposal.

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