Title: Rural Spectrum Accessibility Act of 2017
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Rural Spectrum Accessibility Act of 2017
This bill directs the Federal Communications Commission to establish a program under which a wireless carrier receiving a license under specified provisions of the Communications Act of 1934 may partition or disaggregate the license in order to make unused spectrum available to small carriers or carriers to serve certain rural areas.
A "small carrier" is defined as a carrier with not more than 1,500 employees as calculated under regulatory standards used by the Small Business Administration to determine the number of individuals employed by a business concern on a full-time, part-time, or other basis.
A three-year license extension is provided to any carrier that receives such a license and participates in the program.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1814 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1814

 To encourage spectrum licensees to make unused spectrum available for 
use by rural and smaller carriers in order to expand wireless coverage.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 30, 2017

 Mr. Kinzinger (for himself and Mr. Loebsack) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To encourage spectrum licensees to make unused spectrum available for 
use by rural and smaller carriers in order to expand wireless coverage.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Spectrum Accessibility Act of 
2017''.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF LICENSES.

    Section 307 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 307) is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(g) Extension of Licenses.--
            ``(1) Definitions.--
                    ``(A) In general.--For purposes of this 
                subsection--
                            ``(i) the term `rural area' means any area 
                        other than--
                                    ``(I) an area described in clause 
                                (i) or (ii) of section 343(a)(13)(A) of 
                                the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
                                Development Act (7 U.S.C. 
                                1991(a)(13)(A)); and
                                    ``(II) a city, town, or 
                                incorporated area that has a population 
                                of greater than 20,000 inhabitants; and
                            ``(ii) the term `small carrier' means a 
                        carrier with not more than 1,500 employees.
                    ``(B) Calculation of number of employees.--For 
                purposes of subparagraph (A)(ii), the number of 
                employees of a carrier shall be determined in 
                accordance with section 121.106 of title 13, Code of 
                Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto.
            ``(2) Establishment of program.--Not later than 90 days 
        after the date of enactment of the Rural Spectrum Accessibility 
        Act of 2017, the Commission shall establish a program under 
        which a carrier that receives a license under this section may 
        partition or disaggregate the license in order to make unused 
        spectrum available to small carriers or carriers to serve rural 
        areas.
            ``(3) Extension of license term.--Any carrier that receives 
        a license under this section and participates in the program 
        established under paragraph (2) shall receive a 3-year 
        extension of the license granted under this section.''.
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