I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4990 
To codify the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences and to direct the 
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information 
to establish an initiative to support the development of emergency com-
munication and tracking technologies, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
AUGUST 10, 2021 
Mr. CARTER of Georgia introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To codify the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences and 
to direct the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Com-
munications and Information to establish an initiative 
to support the development of emergency communication 
and tracking technologies, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Institute for Tele-
communication Sciences Codification Act’’ or the ‘‘ITS 
Codification Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:54 Aug 13, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4990.IH
H4990
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. INSTITUTE FOR TELECOMMUNICATION SCIENCES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) The test center within National Tele-
communications and Information Administration (in 
this subsection referred to as the ‘‘NTIA’’) rep-
resents executive branch agencies on spectrum issues 
before the Federal Communications Commission. 
(2) Understanding radio frequency propagation 
characteristics and modeling is a critical component 
of making spectrum decisions. 
(3) Federal agencies rely on expert engineering 
studies, simulations, and analyses to make deter-
minations about system relocations to make spec-
trum available for commercial use as well as identify 
spectrum sharing opportunities through the NTIA. 
(4) Clearing of Federal spectrum, when fea-
sible, is the priority action to make Federal spec-
trum available for commercial uses. 
(5) Sharing of Federal spectrum between Fed-
eral entities and commercial entities provides access 
to Federal spectrum for commercial uses in cir-
cumstances where clearing is not possible. 
(6) The test center within NTIA, is the Govern-
ment’s premier expert laboratory for spectrum re-
search activities, spectrum sharing innovation and 
testing, spectrum interference studies, and all activi-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:54 Aug 13, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4990.IH
H4990
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
ties related to advancing next generation wireless 
technologies. 
(7) The test center within NTIA is critical for 
undertaking engineering studies and analyses, iden-
tifying clearing or sharing opportunities, and facili-
tating policy decisions to maximize the efficient use 
of spectrum resources. 
(b) OPERATION OF TEST CENTER.—Part A of the 
National Telecommunications and Information Adminis-
tration Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 901 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 
106. 
INSTITUTE 
FOR 
TELECOMMUNICATION 
SCIENCES. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Under the authority pro-
vided to the Assistant Secretary under section 103, 
the Assistant Secretary shall operate a test center to 
be known as the Institute for Telecommunication 
Sciences (in this section referred to as ‘ITS’). 
‘‘(2) FUNCTIONS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—In addition to any 
functions delegated by the Assistant Secretary 
under subparagraph (B), ITS shall serve as the 
primary laboratory for the Federal Government 
to— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:54 Aug 13, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4990.IH
H4990
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
‘‘(i) study radio frequency emissions, 
including technologies and techniques to 
control such emissions and interference 
caused by such emissions; 
‘‘(ii) determine spectrum propagation 
characteristics; 
‘‘(iii) conduct tests on technology that 
enhances the sharing of electromagnetic 
spectrum between Federal and non-Federal 
users; 
‘‘(iv) improve the interference toler-
ance of Federal systems operating with, or 
using, Federal spectrum; 
‘‘(v) promote activities relating to ac-
cess to Federal spectrum by non-Federal 
users and the sharing of Federal spectrum 
between Federal and non-Federal users; 
and 
‘‘(vi) conduct such other activities as 
determined necessary by the Assistant Sec-
retary. 
‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL
FUNCTIONS.—The As-
sistant Secretary may delegate to ITS any of 
the functions assigned to the Assistant Sec-
retary under section 103(b)(1). 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:54 Aug 13, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4990.IH
H4990
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
‘‘(3) AGREEMENTS AND TRANSACTIONS.—The 
Assistant Secretary, acting through the head of ITS, 
may enter into such agreements, including contracts, 
cooperative agreements, and interagency agreements, 
as may be necessary. 
‘‘(4) FUNDS
FROM
FEDERAL
AND
NON-FED-
ERAL ENTITIES.—In addition to such other sums as 
may be made available to carry out this section, the 
Assistant Secretary, acting through the head of ITS 
may accept, hold, administer, and use funds from 
any Federal entity or non-Federal entity, including 
a State government, local government, or private 
sector entity, for ITS to perform analysis or conduct 
a technical study on behalf of such entity. 
‘‘(5) FEDERAL SPECTRUM DEFINED.—In this 
subsection, the term ‘Federal spectrum’ means fre-
quencies assigned on a primary basis to a Federal 
entity (as defined in section 113(l) of the National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration 
Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 923(l))). 
‘‘(b) EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION AND TRACKING 
TECHNOLOGIES INITIATIVE.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Assistant Sec-
retary, acting through the head of ITS, shall estab-
lish an initiative to support the development of 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:54 Aug 13, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4990.IH
H4990
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
emergency communication and tracking technologies 
for use in locating trapped individuals in confined 
spaces, such as underground mines, and other 
shielded environments, such as high-rise buildings or 
collapsed structures, where conventional radio com-
munication is limited. 
‘‘(2) ACTIVITIES.—In order to carry out this 
subsection, the Assistant Secretary, acting through 
the head of ITS, shall work with private sector enti-
ties and the heads of appropriate Federal agencies 
to— 
‘‘(A) perform a needs assessment to iden-
tify and evaluate the measurement, technical 
specifications, and conformity assessment needs 
required to improve the operation and reliability 
of such emergency communication and tracking 
technologies; and 
‘‘(B) support the development of technical 
specifications and conformance architecture to 
improve the operation and reliability of such 
emergency communication and tracking tech-
nologies. 
‘‘(3) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant 
Secretary shall submit to Congress, and make pub-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:54 Aug 13, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4990.IH
H4990
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
licly available, a report on the assessment performed 
under paragraph (2)(A).’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
02:54 Aug 13, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H4990.IH
H4990
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS