(i) the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce and the Committee on Appropria-
tions of the House of Representatives; and 
(ii) the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation and the Com-
mittee on Appropriations of the Senate. 
(7) REMOVAL, REPLACEMENT, AND
DISPOSAL 
TERM.— 
(A) DEADLINE.—The permanent removal, 
replacement, and disposal of any covered com-
munications equipment or services identified 
under paragraph (5)(A)(i) shall be completed not 
later than 1 year after the date on which the 
Commission distributes reimbursement funds to 
the recipient. 
(B) GENERAL
EXTENSION.—The Commis-
sion may grant an extension of the deadline de-
scribed in subparagraph (A) for 6 months to all 
recipients of reimbursements under the Program 
if the Commission— 
(i) finds that the supply of replacement 
communications equipment or services need-
ed by the recipients to achieve the purposes 
of the Program is inadequate to meet the 
needs of the recipients; and 
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(ii) provides notice and a detailed jus-
tification for granting the extension to— 
(I) the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce of the House of Representa-
tives; and 
(II) the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate. 
(C) INDIVIDUAL EXTENSION.— 
(i) PETITION.—A recipient of a reim-
bursement under the Program may petition 
the Commission for an extension for such 
recipient of the deadline described in sub-
paragraph (A) or, if the Commission has 
granted an extension of such deadline under 
subparagraph (B), such deadline as so ex-
tended. 
(ii) GRANT.—The Commission may 
grant a petition filed under clause (i) by ex-
tending, for the recipient that filed the peti-
tion, the deadline described in subpara-
graph (A) or, if the Commission has grant-
ed an extension of such deadline under sub-
paragraph (B), such deadline as so ex-
tended, for a period of not more than 6 
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months if the Commission finds that, due to 
no fault of such recipient, such recipient is 
unable to complete the permanent removal, 
replacement, and disposal described in sub-
paragraph (A). 
(8) DISPOSAL
OF
COVERED
COMMUNICATIONS 
EQUIPMENT OR SERVICES.—The Commission shall in-
clude in the regulations promulgated under para-
graph (1) requirements for the disposal by a recipient 
of a reimbursement under the Program of covered 
communications equipment or services identified 
under paragraph (5)(A)(i) and removed from the net-
work of the recipient in order to prevent such equip-
ment or services from being used in the networks of 
providers of advanced communications service. 
(9) STATUS UPDATES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not less frequently than 
once every 90 days beginning on the date on 
which the Commission approves an application 
for a reimbursement under the Program, the re-
cipient of the reimbursement shall submit to the 
Commission a status update on the work of the 
recipient to permanently remove, replace, and 
dispose of the covered communications equipment 
or services identified under paragraph (5)(A)(i). 
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(B) PUBLIC POSTING.—Not earlier than 30 
days after the date on which the Commission re-
ceives a status update under subparagraph (A), 
the Commission shall make such status update 
public on the website of the Commission. 
(C) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not less fre-
quently than once every 180 days beginning on 
the date on which the Commission first makes 
funds available to a recipient of a reimbursement 
under the Program, the Commission shall pre-
pare and submit to the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate a report on— 
(i) the implementation of the Program 
by the Commission; and 
(ii) the work by recipients of reim-
bursements under the Program to perma-
nently remove, replace, and dispose of cov-
ered communications equipment or services 
identified under paragraph (5)(A)(i). 
(e) MEASURES
TO
AVOID
WASTE, FRAUD, AND 
ABUSE.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall take all 
necessary steps to avoid waste, fraud, and abuse with 
respect to the Program. 
(2) SPENDING REPORTS.—The Commission shall 
require recipients of reimbursements under the Pro-
gram to submit to the Commission on a regular basis 
reports regarding how reimbursement funds have been 
spent, including detailed accounting of the covered 
communications equipment or services permanently 
removed and disposed of, and the replacement equip-
ment or services purchased, rented, leased, or other-
wise obtained, using reimbursement funds. 
(3) AUDITS, REVIEWS, AND
FIELD
INVESTIGA-
TIONS.—The Commission shall conduct— 
(A) regular audits and reviews of reim-
bursements under the Program to confirm that 
recipients of such reimbursements are complying 
with this Act; and 
(B) random field investigations to ensure 
that recipients of reimbursements under the Pro-
gram are performing the work such recipients 
are required to perform under the commitments 
made in the applications of such recipients for 
reimbursements under the Program, including 
the permanent removal, replacement, and dis-
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posal of the covered communications equipment 
or 
services 
identified 
under 
subsection 
(d)(5)(A)(i). 
(4) FINAL CERTIFICATION.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Commission shall 
require a recipient of a reimbursement under the 
Program to submit to the Commission, in a form 
and at an appropriate time to be determined by 
the Commission, a certification stating that the 
recipient— 
(i) has fully complied with (or is in 
the process of complying with) all terms 
and conditions of the Program; 
(ii) has fully complied with (or is in 
the process of complying with) the commit-
ments made in the application of the recipi-
ent for the reimbursement; 
(iii) has permanently removed from 
the communications network of the recipi-
ent, replaced, and disposed of (or is in the 
process of permanently removing, replacing, 
and disposing of) all covered communica-
tions equipment or services that were in the 
network of the recipient as of the date of the 
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submission of the application of the recipi-
ent for the reimbursement; and 
(iv) has fully complied with (or is in 
the process of complying with) the timeline 
submitted by the recipient under subpara-
graph (A)(ii) of paragraph (5) of subsection 
(d) and the other requirements of such 
paragraph. 
(B) UPDATED
CERTIFICATION.—If, at the 
time when a recipient of a reimbursement under 
the Program submits a certification under sub-
paragraph (A), the recipient has not fully com-
plied as described in clause (i), (ii), or (iv) of 
such subparagraph or has not completed the per-
manent removal, replacement, and disposal de-
scribed in clause (iii) of such subparagraph, the 
Commission shall require the recipient to file an 
updated certification when the recipient has 
fully complied as described in such clause (i), 
(ii), or (iv) or completed such permanent re-
moval, replacement, and disposal. 
(f) EFFECT OF REMOVAL OF EQUIPMENT OR SERVICE 
FROM LIST.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—If, after the date on which a 
recipient of a reimbursement under the Program sub-
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(g) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION REGARDING TIMING OF 
REIMBURSEMENT.—Nothing in this section shall be con-
strued to prohibit the Commission from making a reim-
bursement under the Program to a provider of advanced 
communications service before the provider incurs the cost 
of the permanent removal, replacement, and disposal of the 
covered communications equipment or service for which the 
application of the provider has been approved under this 
section. 
(h) EDUCATION EFFORTS.—The Commission shall en-
gage in education efforts with providers of advanced com-
munications service to— 
(1) encourage such providers to participate in 
the Program; and 
(2) assist such providers in submitting applica-
tions for the Program. 
(i) SEPARATE FROM FEDERAL UNIVERSAL SERVICE 
PROGRAMS.—The Program shall be separate from any Fed-
eral universal service program established under section 254 
of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254). 
(j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Commission 
$1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2020 to carry out the Pro-
gram. Such amount is authorized to remain available 
through fiscal year 2029. Not more than $5,000,000 of the 
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amounts appropriated under this subsection may be used 
for the administrative costs of carrying out the Program. 
SEC. 5. HOLD HARMLESS. 
In the case of a person who is a winner of the Connect 
America Fund Phase II auction, has not yet been author-
ized to receive Connect America Fund Phase II support, 
and demonstrates an inability to reasonably meet the build- 
out and service obligations of such person under Connect 
America Fund Phase II without using equipment or serv-
ices prohibited under this Act, such person may withdraw 
the application of such person for Connect America Fund 
Phase II support without being found in default or subject 
to forfeiture. The Commission may set a deadline to make 
such a withdrawal that is not earlier than the date that 
is 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 6. ENFORCEMENT. 
(a) VIOLATIONS.—A violation of this Act or a regula-
tion promulgated under this Act shall be treated as a viola-
tion of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 
et seq.) or a regulation promulgated under such Act, respec-
tively. The Commission shall enforce this Act and the regu-
lations promulgated under this Act in the same manner, 
by the same means, and with the same jurisdiction, powers, 
and duties as though all applicable terms and provisions 
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of the Communications Act of 1934 were incorporated into 
and made a part of this Act. 
(b) ADDITIONAL PENALTIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), in addition to penalties under the Commu-
nications Act of 1934, a recipient of a reimbursement 
under the Program found to have violated section 4, 
the regulations promulgated under such section, or the 
commitments made by the recipient in the applica-
tion for the reimbursement— 
(A) shall repay to the Commission all reim-
bursement funds provided to the recipient under 
the Program; 
(B) shall be barred from further participa-
tion in the Program; 
(C) shall be referred to all appropriate law 
enforcement agencies or officials for further ac-
tion under applicable criminal and civil laws; 
and 
(D) may be barred by the Commission from 
participation in other programs of the Commis-
sion, including the Federal universal service sup-
port programs established under section 254 of 
the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
254). 
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(2) NOTICE AND OPPORTUNITY TO CURE.—The 
penalties described in paragraph (1) shall not apply 
to a recipient of a reimbursement under the Program 
unless— 
(A) the Commission provides the recipient 
with notice of the violation; and 
(B) the recipient fails to cure the violation 
within 180 days after the Commission provides 
such notice. 
(c) RECOVERY OF FUNDS.—The Commission shall im-
mediately take action to recover all reimbursement funds 
awarded to a recipient of a reimbursement under the Pro-
gram in any case in which such recipient is required to 
repay reimbursement funds under subsection (b)(1)(A). 
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE.—The 
term ‘‘advanced communications service’’ has the 
meaning given the term ‘‘advanced telecommuni-
cations capability’’ in section 706 of the Tele-
communications Act of 1996 (47 U.S.C. 1302). 
(2) 
COMMISSION.—The 
term 
‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Federal Communications Commission. 
(3) COVERED COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT OR 
SERVICE.—The term ‘‘covered communications equip-
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ment or service’’ means any communications equip-
ment or service that is on the list published by the 
Commission under section 2(a). 
(4) CUSTOMERS.—The term ‘‘customers’’ means, 
with respect to a provider of advanced communica-
tions service— 
(A) the customers of such provider; and 
(B) the customers of any affiliate (as de-
fined in section 3 of the Communications Act of 
1934 (47 U.S.C. 153)) of such provider. 
(5) EXECUTIVE BRANCH INTERAGENCY BODY.— 
The term ‘‘executive branch interagency body’’ means 
an interagency body established in the executive 
branch. 
(6) PERSON.—The term ‘‘person’’ means an in-
dividual or entity. 
(7) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’ means the 
Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reim-
bursement Program established under section 4(a). 
(8) PROVIDER OF ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS 
SERVICE.—The term ‘‘provider of advanced commu-
nications service’’ means a person who provides ad-
vanced communications service to United States cus-
tomers. 
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(9) RECIPIENT.—The term ‘‘recipient’’ means 
any provider of advanced communications service the 
application of which for a reimbursement under the 
Program has been approved by the Commission, re-
gardless of whether the provider has received reim-
bursement funds. 
(10) REIMBURSEMENT FUNDS.—The term ‘‘reim-
bursement funds’’ means any reimbursement received 
under the Program. 
Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to prohibit cer-
tain Federal subsidies from being used to purchase com-
munications equipment or services posing national secu-
rity risks, to provide for the establishment of a reim-
bursement program for the replacement of communica-
tions equipment or services posing such risks, and for 
other purposes.’’. 
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Union Calendar No. 281 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 4998 
[Report No. 116–352] 
A BILL 
To prohibit certain Federal loans, grants, and sub-
sidies from being used to purchase communica-
tions equipment or services posing national secu-
rity risks, to provide for the establishment of a 
reimbursement program for the replacement of 
communications equipment or services posing 
such risks, and for other purposes. 
DECEMBER 16, 2019 
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee 
of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and or-
dered to be printed 
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