H. R. 5419—12
of the Senate a report on various policy options to compensate
Federal entities for relocation costs when such entities’ frequencies
are allocated by the Commission for unlicensed, public safety,
shared, or non-commercial use.
SEC. 209. COMMERCIAL SPECTRUM LICENSE POLICY REVIEW.
(a) EXAMINATION.—The Comptroller General shall examine
national commercial spectrum license policy as implemented by
the Federal Communications Commission, and shall report its
findings to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on
Energy and Commerce within 270 days.
(b) CONTENT.—The report shall address each of the following:
(1) An estimate of the respective proportions of electro-
magnetic spectrum capacity that have been assigned by the
Federal Communications Commission—
(A) prior to enactment of section 309(j) of the Commu-
nications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 309(j)) providing to the
Commission’s competitive bidding authority,
(B) after enactment of that section using the Commis-
sion’s competitive bidding authority, and
(C) by means other than competitive bidding,
and a description of the classes of licensees assigned under
each method.
(2) The extent to which requiring entities to obtain licenses
through competitive bidding places those entities at a competi-
tive or financial disadvantage to offer services similar to entities
that did not acquire licenses through competitive bidding.
(3) The effect, if any, of the use of competitive bidding
and the resulting diversion of licensees’ financial resources
on the introduction of new services including the quality, pace,
and scope of the offering of such services to the public.
(4) The effect, if any, of participation in competitive bidding
by incumbent spectrum license holders as applicants or inves-
tors in an applicant, including a discussion of any additional
effect if such applicant qualified for bidding credits as a des-
ignated entity.
(5) The effect on existing license holders and consumers
of services offered by these providers of the Administration’s
Spectrum License User Fee proposal contained in the Presi-
dent’s Budget of the United States Government for Fiscal Year
2004 (Budget, page 299; Appendix, page 1046), and an evalua-
tion of whether the enactment of this proposal could address,
either in part or in whole, any possible competitive disadvan-
tages described in paragraph (2).
(c) FCC ASSISTANCE.—The Federal Communications Commis-
sion shall provide information and assistance, as necessary, to
facilitate the completion of the examination required by subsection
(a).
TITLE III—UNIVERSAL SERVICE
SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ‘‘Universal Service Antideficiency
Temporary Suspension Act’’.
H. R. 5419—13
SEC. 302. APPLICATION OF CERTAIN TITLE 31 PROVISIONS TO UNI-
VERSAL SERVICE FUND.
(a) IN GENERAL.—During the period beginning on the date
of enactment of this Act and ending on December 31, 2005, section
1341 and subchapter II of chapter 15 of title 31, United States
Code, do not apply—
(1) to any amount collected or received as Federal universal
service contributions required by section 254 of the Communica-
tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254), including any interest earned
on such contributions; nor
(2) to the expenditure or obligation of amounts attributable
to such contributions for universal service support programs
established pursuant to that section.
(b) POST-2005 FULFILLMENT OF PROTECTED OBLIGATIONS.—Sec-
tion 1341 and subchapter II of chapter 15 of title 31, United States
Code, do not apply after December 31, 2005, to an expenditure
or obligation described in subsection (a)(2) made or authorized
during the period described in subsection (a).
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.