of a payment under paragraph (1)(C), 30 
days)’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(F) CONSULTATION REGARDING SHARING 
FREQUENCIES
ON
UNLICENSED
BASIS.—If a 
Federal entity that receives a payment under 
subparagraph (A) determines, in carrying out 
activities under a plan approved by the Tech-
nical Panel under subparagraph (E), that it is 
not feasible for such Federal entity to make 
available frequencies described in such plan for 
reallocation for non-Federal use or shared Fed-
eral and non-Federal use, or a combination 
thereof, and for auction in accordance with 
such reallocation— 
‘‘(i) such Federal entity shall submit 
to the NTIA a certification stating the de-
termination; and 
‘‘(ii) the NTIA shall consult with the 
Commission and such Federal entity re-
garding whether such frequencies may be 
shared with non-Federal entities on an un-
licensed basis.’’. 
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SEC. 202. INCLUSION OF SPECTRUM SHARING IN ANNUAL 
NTIA REPORT ON RELOCATION. 
Section 207 of the Commercial Spectrum Enhance-
ment Act (47 U.S.C. 928 note) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘or sharing of’’ after ‘‘re-
location from’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘section 118(d)(2)(A)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘section 118(d)(2)(B)’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘relocated communication 
system’’ and inserting ‘‘such communication 
system’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘relocation costs’’ and in-
serting ‘‘relocation or sharing costs’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘relocations costs’’ and in-
serting ‘‘relocation or sharing costs’’. 
SEC. 203. STUDIES ON REALLOCATION OF CERTAIN FED-
ERAL SPECTRUM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, each Federal entity 
that, as of such date of enactment, is operating on spec-
trum between the frequencies of 3450 megahertz to 3550 
megahertz shall— 
(1) request a payment under section 118(g)(2) 
of the National Telecommunications and Informa-
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tion Administration Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 
928(g)(2)) for the purpose of conducting a study of 
any such frequencies on which such entity operates 
in order to determine the feasibility of the realloca-
tion of such frequencies, or a portion thereof, for 
non-Federal use or shared Federal and non-Federal 
use, or a combination thereof, and auction in accord-
ance with such reallocation; and 
(2) if such Federal entity receives such pay-
ment— 
(A) conduct such study; and 
(B) submit to the appropriate committees 
of Congress and the Secretary a report on the 
results of such study. 
(b) CONDITIONS AND LIMITATIONS.— 
(1) RECEIPT OF PAYMENT.—A Federal entity is 
not required to conduct a study under subsection (a) 
if such entity requests such payment in accordance 
with section 118(g)(2) of the National Telecommuni-
cations and Information Administration Organiza-
tion Act (47 U.S.C. 928(g)(2)) but does not receive 
such payment. 
(2) INABILITY TO ACHIEVE COMPARABLE CAPA-
BILITY OF SYSTEMS.—If it is found in a study con-
ducted under subsection (a) that any Federal entity 
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operating on spectrum with respect to which the 
study is conducted would not be able to achieve com-
parable capability of systems in the case of the re-
allocation of such spectrum or a portion thereof for 
non-Federal use or shared Federal and non-Federal 
use, or a combination thereof, and auction in accord-
ance with such reallocation, the Federal entity that 
conducted the study shall submit to the National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration 
and the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget a certification stating such finding. 
SEC. 204. IDENTIFICATION, REALLOCATION, AND AUCTION 
OF CERTAIN FEDERAL SPECTRUM. 
(a) IDENTIFICATION OF SPECTRUM.—Not later than 
January 1, 2025, the Secretary shall— 
(1) for the frequencies with respect to which a 
Federal entity makes an affirmative feasibility deter-
mination under section 203(a), determine whether 
the Secretary concurs with the determination of the 
Federal entity; and 
(2) if the Secretary concurs with the determina-
tion of the Federal entity, submit to the President 
and the Commission a report identifying for re-
allocation the frequencies with respect to which the 
Federal entity made the determination. 
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(b) CLEARING
OF
SPECTRUM.—The President 
shall— 
(1) not later than 180 days after the Secretary 
submits a report under subsection (a)(2), begin the 
process of withdrawing or modifying the assignment 
to a Federal Government station of the frequencies 
identified in such report; and 
(2) not later than 30 days after completing the 
withdrawal or modification, notify the Commission 
that the withdrawal or modification is complete. 
(c) REALLOCATION AND AUCTION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall— 
(A) reallocate the frequencies identified in 
a report under subsection (a)(2) for non-Fed-
eral use or shared Federal and non-Federal use, 
or a combination thereof; and 
(B) notwithstanding paragraph (15)(A) of 
section 309(j) of the Communications Act of 
1934 (47 U.S.C. 309(j)), not later than Janu-
ary 1, 2026, begin a system of competitive bid-
ding under such section to grant new initial li-
censes for the use of such frequencies, subject 
to flexible-use service rules. 
(2) PROCEEDS.— 
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(A) IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding sub-
paragraphs (A), (C)(i), and (D)(i) of section 
309(j)(8) of the Communications Act of 1934 
(47 U.S.C. 309(j)(8)), in the case of the pro-
ceeds from the use of a system of competitive 
bidding under paragraph (1)(B) (including de-
posits and upfront payments from successful 
bidders), after the retention of costs by the sal-
aries and expenses account of the Commission 
under subparagraph (B) of such section and the 
deposit in the Spectrum Relocation Fund estab-
lished by section 118 of the National Tele-
communications and Information Administra-
tion Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 928) of such 
portion of such proceeds as is necessary to 
cover the relocation or sharing costs (as defined 
in section 113(g)(3) of such Act (47 U.S.C. 
923(g)(3)) of Federal entities with respect to 
such system of competitive bidding and the 
amounts required to be made available to the 
Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget under subsections (f) and (g) of such 
section 118, the remainder of such proceeds 
shall be deposited in the Rural Broadband De-
ployment Fund established by section 401. 
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(B) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
this section shall be construed to relieve the 
Commission from the requirements of section 
309(j)(16)(B) of the Communications Act of 
1934 (47 U.S.C. 309(j)(16)(B)). 
(d) AUCTION AUTHORITY.—Section 309(j)(11) of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 309(j)(11)) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking the period at the end and insert-
ing ‘‘; and’’; 
(2) by striking ‘‘except that, with respect to’’ 
and inserting ‘‘except that— 
‘‘(A) with respect to’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(B) with respect to the frequencies identi-
fied under section 204(a)(2) of the Wireless In-
vestment Now in 5G Act, such authority shall 
expire on September 30, 2027.’’. 
(e) RELATIONSHIP TO SPECTRUM PIPELINE IDENTI-
FICATION
REQUIREMENT.—The identification of fre-
quencies under subsection (a)(2), withdrawal or modifica-
tion of the assignment to a Federal Government station 
of such frequencies under subsection (b), or reallocation 
or auction of such frequencies under subsection (c) does 
not preclude such frequencies from being identified under 
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section 1006(c) of the Spectrum Pipeline Act of 2015 
(Public Law 114–74; 129 Stat. 624). 
SEC. 205. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title: 
(1) COMPARABLE CAPABILITY OF SYSTEMS.— 
The term ‘‘comparable capability of systems’’ has 
the meaning described in section 113(g)(3)(B) of the 
National Telecommunications and Information Ad-
ministration 
Organization 
Act 
(47 
U.S.C. 
923(g)(3)(B)). 
(2) FEDERAL ENTITY.—The term ‘‘Federal en-
tity’’ has the meaning given such term in section 
113(l) of the National Telecommunications and In-
formation Administration Organization Act (47 
U.S.C. 923(l)). 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Commerce. 
TITLE III—NTIA RESEARCH AND 
DEVELOPMENT 
SEC. 301. NTIA INDEPENDENT RESEARCH AND DEVELOP-
MENT COSTS. 
Section 118 of the National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 
928) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(j) NTIA INDEPENDENT RESEARCH AND DEVELOP-
MENT COSTS.— 
‘‘(1) 
IN
GENERAL.—Notwithstanding 
sub-
sections (c) through (e), from amounts described in 
paragraph (2), the Director of OMB may transfer to 
the salaries and expenses account of the NTIA such 
sums as may be necessary for costs incurred by the 
NTIA to conduct independent research and develop-
ment, engineering studies, economic analyses, or 
other activities not already subject to a plan ap-
proved under subsection (g)(2)(E) and intended to 
improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the spec-
trum use of Federal entities in order to make avail-
able frequencies described in paragraph (3) for re-
allocation for non-Federal use or shared Federal and 
non-Federal use, or a combination thereof, and for 
auction in accordance with such reallocation. 
‘‘(2) AMOUNTS DESCRIBED.—The amounts de-
scribed in this paragraph are amounts in the Fund 
from auctions of eligible frequencies that are made 
available for reallocation and auction primarily as a 
result of research and development, engineering 
studies, economic analyses, or other activities in-
tended to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of 
the spectrum use of Federal entities in order to 
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make available frequencies for reallocation for non- 
Federal use or shared Federal and non-Federal use, 
or a combination thereof, and for auction in accord-
ance with such reallocation, that are conducted by 
the NTIA after the date of the enactment of this 
subsection, regardless of whether the NTIA conducts 
such activities using amounts transferred to the 
NTIA under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(3) 
FREQUENCIES
DESCRIBED.—The 
fre-
quencies described in this paragraph are frequencies 
that— 
‘‘(A) are assigned to a Federal entity; and 
‘‘(B) at the time when the activities de-
scribed in paragraph (1) are conducted, are not 
identified for auction. 
‘‘(4) 
AVAILABILITY
OF
FUNDS.—Amounts 
transferred under paragraph (1) shall be available 
for obligation subject to the terms and conditions of 
the receiving appropriations account and shall re-
main available until expended. 
‘‘(5) NO
CHARGE
TO
FEDERAL
AGENCIES.— 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law (includ-
ing the terms and conditions of an appropriations 
account referred to in paragraph (4)), the NTIA 
may not charge any Federal agency for an activity 
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conducted using amounts transferred to the NTIA 
under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(6) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
this subsection shall be construed to limit the avail-
ability to the NTIA to conduct activities described in 
paragraph (1) of funds, other than amounts trans-
ferred under such paragraph, that are otherwise 
available to the NTIA to conduct such activities.’’. 
TITLE IV—RURAL BROADBAND 
DEPLOYMENT 
SEC. 401. RURAL BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT FUND. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 
Treasury of the United States a fund to be known as the 
Rural Broadband Deployment Fund. 
(b) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—To the extent or in 
the amounts provided in advance in appropriation Acts, 
amounts in the Rural Broadband Deployment Fund shall 
be available to the Commission to make payments to ex-
pand access to broadband in unserved and underserved 
areas. 
(c) NO COMBINATION WITH OTHER SUPPORT.—In 
making payments under subsection (b), the Commission 
may not combine such payments with any other support 
for broadband provided by the Commission. 
Æ 
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