Title: DIGIT Act
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Developing Innovation and Growing the Internet of Things Act or the DIGIT Act
This bill requires the Department of Commerce to convene a working group of federal stakeholders to provide recommendations regarding the Internet of Things (IoT), and it establishes a steering committee composed of stakeholders outside the federal government to advise the working group. The IoT is a system of interrelated devices connected to a network and each other that exchange data without requiring human interaction (e.g., smart home devices, medical monitoring devices, and wearable fitness trackers).
The working group must (1) identify federal laws and regulations, grant practices, budgetary or jurisdictional challenges, and other sector-specific policies that affect IoT development; (2) consider policies or programs that encourage and improve coordination among federal agencies with relevant responsibilities; (3) consider implementing recommendations from the steering committee; (4) examine how federal agencies can benefit from, use, prepare for, and secure the IoT; and (5) consult with nongovernmental stakeholders.
The steering committee must advise the working group about laws, budgets, individual privacy, security, small business challenges, and any international proceedings or negotiations affecting the IoT.
Lastly, the Federal Communications Commission must (1) seek public comment on the IoT's spectrum needs, regulatory barriers, and growth with licensed and unlicensed spectrum; and (2) submit a summary of those comments to Congress.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8115 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8115

     To ensure appropriate prioritization, spectrum planning, and 
      interagency coordination to support the Internet of Things.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 25, 2020

 Mr. Welch (for himself and Mrs. Rodgers of Washington) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To ensure appropriate prioritization, spectrum planning, and 
      interagency coordination to support the Internet of Things.

    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 ``Developing Innovation and Growing 
the Internet of Things Act'' or the ``DIGIT Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the Internet of Things refers to the growing number of 
        connected and interconnected devices;
            (2) estimates indicate that more than 125,000,000,000 
        devices will be connected to the internet by 2030;
            (3) the Internet of Things has the potential to generate 
        trillions of dollars in new economic activity around the world 
        in the transportation, energy, agriculture, manufacturing, and 
        health care sectors and in other sectors that are critical to 
        the growth of the gross domestic product of the United States;
            (4) businesses across the United States can develop new 
        services and products, improve the efficiency of operations and 
        logistics, cut costs, improve worker and public safety, and 
        pass savings on to consumers by utilizing the Internet of 
        Things and related innovations;
            (5) the Internet of Things will--
                    (A) be vital in furthering innovation and the 
                development of emerging technologies; and
                    (B) play a key role in developing artificial 
                intelligence and advanced computing capabilities;
            (6) the United States leads the world in the development of 
        technologies that support the internet, the United States 
        technology sector is well-positioned to lead in the development 
        of technologies for the Internet of Things, and the appropriate 
        prioritization of a national strategy with respect to the 
        Internet of Things would strengthen that position;
            (7) the Federal Government can implement this technology to 
        better deliver services to the public; and
            (8) the Senate unanimously passed Senate Resolution 110, 
        114th Congress, agreed to March 24, 2015, calling for a 
        national strategy for the development of the Internet of 
        Things.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that policies 
governing the Internet of Things should--
            (1) promote solutions with respect to the Internet of 
        Things that are secure, scalable, interoperable, industry-
        driven, and standards-based; and
            (2) maximize the development and deployment of the Internet 
        of Things to benefit all stakeholders, including businesses, 
        governments, and consumers.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Communications Commission.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Commerce.
            (3) Steering committee.--The term ``steering committee'' 
        means the steering committee established under section 4(e)(1).
            (4) Working group.--The term ``working group'' means the 
        working group convened under section 4(a).

SEC. 4. FEDERAL WORKING GROUP.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall convene a working group of 
Federal stakeholders for the purpose of providing recommendations and a 
report to Congress relating to the aspects of the Internet of Things 
described in subsection (b).
    (b) Duties.--The working group shall--
            (1) identify any Federal regulations, statutes, grant 
        practices, budgetary or jurisdictional challenges, and other 
        sector-specific policies that are inhibiting, or could inhibit, 
        the development or deployment of the Internet of Things;
            (2) identify any Federal regulations, statutes, and 
        activities that have benefitted or could benefit the 
        development or deployment of the Internet of Things;
            (3) consider policies or programs that encourage and 
        improve coordination among Federal agencies that have 
        responsibilities that are relevant to the objectives of this 
        Act;
            (4) consider any findings or recommendations made by the 
        steering committee and, where appropriate, act to implement 
        those recommendations;
            (5) examine--
                    (A) how Federal agencies can benefit from utilizing 
                the Internet of Things;
                    (B) the use of Internet of Things technology by 
                Federal agencies as of the date on which the working 
                group performs the examination;
                    (C) the preparedness and ability of Federal 
                agencies to adopt Internet of Things technology as of 
                the date on which the working group performs the 
                examination and in the future; and
                    (D) any additional security measures that Federal 
                agencies may need to take to--
                            (i) safely and securely use the Internet of 
                        Things, including measures that ensure the 
                        security of critical infrastructure; and
                            (ii) enhance the resiliency of Federal 
                        systems against cyber threats to the Internet 
                        of Things;
            (6) in carrying out the examinations required under clauses 
        (i) and (ii) of paragraph (5)(D), ensure to the maximum extent 
        possible the coordination of the current and future activities 
        of the Federal Government relating to security with respect to 
        the Internet of Things; and
            (7) examine any additional security measures that Federal 
        agencies may need to take to protect users of Internet of 
        Things technology, especially members of more vulnerable 
        populations (including children and older individuals).
    (c) Agency Representatives.--In convening the working group under 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall have discretion to appoint 
representatives from Federal agencies and departments as appropriate 
and shall specifically consider seeking representation from--
            (1) the Department of Commerce, including--
                    (A) the National Telecommunications and Information 
                Administration;
                    (B) the National Institute of Standards and 
                Technology; and
                    (C) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                Administration;
            (2) the Department of Transportation;
            (3) the Department of Homeland Security;
            (4) the Office of Management and Budget;
            (5) the National Science Foundation;
            (6) the Commission;
            (7) the Federal Trade Commission;
            (8) the Office of Science and Technology Policy;
            (9) the Department of Energy; and
            (10) the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
    (d) Nongovernmental Stakeholders.--The working group shall consult 
with nongovernmental stakeholders with expertise relating to the 
Internet of Things, including--
            (1) the steering committee;
            (2) information and communications technology 
        manufacturers, suppliers, service providers, and vendors;
            (3) subject matter experts representing industrial sectors 
        other than the technology sector that can benefit from the 
        Internet of Things, including the transportation, energy, 
        agriculture, and health care sectors;
            (4) small, medium, and large businesses;
            (5) think tanks and academia;
            (6) nonprofit organizations and consumer groups;
            (7) security experts;
            (8) rural stakeholders; and
            (9) other stakeholders with relevant expertise, as 
        determined by the Secretary.
    (e) Steering Committee.--
            (1) Establishment.--There is established within the 
        Department of Commerce a steering committee to advise the 
        working group.
            (2) Duties.--The steering committee shall advise the 
        working group with respect to--
                    (A) the identification of any Federal regulations, 
                statutes, grant practices, budgetary or jurisdictional 
                challenges, and other sector-specific policies that are 
                inhibiting, or could inhibit, the development or 
                deployment of the Internet of Things;
                    (B) the identification of any Federal regulations, 
                statutes, and activities that have benefitted or could 
                benefit the development or deployment of the Internet 
                of Things;
                    (C) situations in which the use of the Internet of 
                Things is likely to deliver significant and scalable 
                economic and societal benefits to the United States, 
                including benefits from or to--
                            (i) smart traffic and transit technologies;
                            (ii) augmented logistics and supply chains;
                            (iii) sustainable infrastructure;
                            (iv) precision agriculture;
                            (v) environmental monitoring;
                            (vi) public safety; and
                            (vii) health care;
                    (D) policies, programs, or multi-stakeholder 
                activities that--
                            (i) promote or are related to the privacy 
                        of users of Internet of Things technology, 
                        especially members of more vulnerable 
                        populations (including children and older 
                        individuals);
                            (ii) may enhance the security of the 
                        Internet of Things, including the security of 
                        critical infrastructure;
                            (iii) may protect users of the Internet of 
                        Things, especially members of more vulnerable 
                        populations (including children and older 
                        individuals); and
                            (iv) may encourage coordination among 
                        Federal agencies with jurisdiction over the 
                        Internet of Things;
                    (E) the opportunities and challenges associated 
                with the use of Internet of Things technology by small 
                businesses; and
                    (F) any international proceeding, international 
                negotiation, or other international matter affecting 
                the Internet of Things to which the United States is or 
                should be a party.
            (3) Membership.--The Secretary shall appoint to the 
        steering committee members representing a wide range of 
        stakeholders outside of the Federal Government with expertise 
        relating to the Internet of Things, including--
                    (A) information and communications technology 
                manufacturers, suppliers, service providers, and 
                vendors;
                    (B) subject matter experts representing industrial 
                sectors other than the technology sector that can 
                benefit from the Internet of Things, including the 
                transportation, energy, agriculture, and health care 
                sectors;
                    (C) small, medium, and large businesses;
                    (D) think tanks and academia;
                    (E) nonprofit organizations and consumer groups;
                    (F) security experts;
                    (G) rural stakeholders; and
                    (H) other stakeholders with relevant expertise, as 
                determined by the Secretary.
            (4) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the steering committee shall submit to 
        the working group a report that includes any findings or 
        recommendations of the steering committee.
            (5) Independent advice.--
                    (A) In general.--The steering committee shall set 
                the agenda of the steering committee in carrying out 
                the duties of the steering committee under paragraph 
                (2).
                    (B) Suggestions.--The working group may suggest 
                topics or items for the steering committee to study, 
                and the steering committee shall take those suggestions 
                into consideration in carrying out the duties of the 
                steering committee.
                    (C) Report.--The steering committee shall ensure 
                that the report submitted under paragraph (4) is the 
                result of the independent judgment of the steering 
                committee.
            (6) No compensation for members.--A member of the steering 
        committee shall serve without compensation.
            (7) Termination.--The steering committee shall terminate on 
        the date on which the working group submits the report under 
        subsection (f).
    (f) Report to Congress.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the working group shall submit to 
        Congress a report that includes--
                    (A) the findings and recommendations of the working 
                group with respect to the duties of the working group 
                under subsection (b);
                    (B) the report submitted by the steering committee 
                under subsection (e)(4), as the report was received by 
                the working group;
                    (C) recommendations for action or reasons for 
                inaction, as applicable, with respect to each 
                recommendation made by the steering committee in the 
                report submitted under subsection (e)(4); and
                    (D) an accounting of any progress made by Federal 
                agencies to implement recommendations made by the 
                working group or the steering committee.
            (2) Copy of report.--The working group shall submit a copy 
        of the report described in paragraph (1) to--
                    (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
                Resources of the Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
                House of Representatives; and
                    (C) any other committee of Congress, upon request 
                to the working group.

SEC. 5. ASSESSING SPECTRUM NEEDS.

    (a) In General.--The Commission, in consultation with the National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration, shall issue a notice 
of inquiry seeking public comment on the current, as of the date of 
enactment of this Act, and future spectrum needs to enable better 
connectivity relating to the Internet of Things.
    (b) Requirements.--In issuing the notice of inquiry under 
subsection (a), the Commission shall seek comments that consider and 
evaluate--
            (1) whether adequate spectrum is available, or is planned 
        for allocation, for commercial wireless services that could 
        support the growing Internet of Things;
            (2) if adequate spectrum is not available for the purposes 
        described in paragraph (1), how to ensure that adequate 
        spectrum is available for increased demand with respect to the 
        Internet of Things;
            (3) what regulatory barriers may exist to providing any 
        needed spectrum that would support uses relating to the 
        Internet of Things; and
            (4) what the role of unlicensed and licensed spectrum is 
        and will be in the growth of the Internet of Things.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Commission shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce of the House of Representatives, and each member of the 
working group a report that summarizes the comments submitted in 
response to the notice of inquiry issued under subsection (a).
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