Title: Securing Global Telecommunications Act
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Securing Global Telecommunications Act
This bill establishes the International Digital Economic and Telecommunication Advisory Committee within the Department of State and addresses other issues relating to global telecommunications infrastructure.
The committee shall advise the State Department on U.S. strategies and issues relevant to the digital economy, digital connectivity, the economic aspects of emerging digital technologies, telecommunications, and communications and information policy.
The bill also requires the State Department to develop and submit to Congress a strategy to promote the use of secure telecommunication infrastructure worldwide.
The State Department must also report to Congress on (1) efforts by China and Russia to advance authoritarian interests or oppose fair, industry-led processes at the International Telecommunication Union, the U.N. agency involved with setting telecommunications standards and related regulatory activities; and (2) opportunities for greater collaboration with allies and partners to promote secure information and communications technology infrastructure.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8503 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8503

 To require the development of a strategy to promote the use of secure 
  telecommunications infrastructure worldwide, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 26, 2022

  Ms. Manning (for herself and Mrs. Kim of California) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the development of a strategy to promote the use of secure 
  telecommunications infrastructure worldwide, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Securing Global Telecommunications 
Act''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress as follows:
            (1) The United States Government should promote and take 
        steps to ensure American leadership in strategic technology 
        industries, including telecommunications infrastructure and 
        other information and communications technologies.
            (2) The expansive presence of companies linked to the 
        Chinese Communist Party, such as Huawei, in global mobile 
        networks and the national security implications thereof, such 
        as the ability of the People's Republic of China to exfiltrate 
        the information flowing through those networks and shut off 
        countries' internet access, demonstrates the importance of the 
        United States remaining at the technological frontier and the 
        dire consequences of falling behind.
            (3) The significant cost of countering Huawei's market 
        leadership in telecommunications infrastructure around the 
        world underscores the urgency of supporting the competitiveness 
        of United States companies in next-generation information and 
        communication technology.
            (4) To remain a leader at the International 
        Telecommunication Union (ITU) and preserve the ITU's technical 
        integrity, the United States must work with emerging economies 
        and developing nations to bolster global telecommunications 
        security and protect American national security interests.
            (5) Multilateral cooperation with like-minded partners and 
        allies is critical to carry out the significant effort of 
        financing and promoting secure networks around the world and to 
        achieve market leadership of trusted vendors in this sector.

SEC. 3. STRATEGY FOR SECURING GLOBAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE.

    (a) Strategy Required.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall develop and 
submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a 
strategy, to be known as the ``Strategy to Secure Global 
Telecommunications Infrastructure'' (referred to in this Act as the 
``Strategy''), to promote the use of secure telecommunication 
infrastructure worldwide.
    (b) Consultation Required.--The Secretary of State shall consult 
with the President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the 
Chief Executive Officer of the Development Finance Corporation, the 
Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development, the Director of the Trade and Development Agency, the 
Chair of the Federal Communications Commission, and the Secretary of 
Commerce, in developing the Strategy, which shall consist of an 
approach led by the Department of State using the policy tools, and 
informed by the technical expertise, of the other Federal entities so 
consulted to achieve the goal described in subsection (a).
    (c) Elements.--The Strategy shall also include sections on each of 
the following:
            (1) Mobile networks, including a description of efforts 
        to--
                    (A) promote trusted Open RAN technologies while 
                protecting against any security risks posed by 
                untrusted vendors in Open RAN networks;
                    (B) use financing mechanisms to assist ``rip-and-
                replace'' projects and to incentivize countries to 
                choose trusted equipment vendors;
                    (C) bolster multilateral cooperation, especially 
                with developing countries and emerging economies, to 
                promote the deployment of trusted wireless networks 
                worldwide;
                    (D) collaborate with trusted private sector 
                companies to counter Chinese market leadership in the 
                telecom equipment industry; and
                    (E) review the feasibility of using low-Earth orbit 
                satellites as a way to provide internet access.
            (2) Data centers, including a description of efforts to--
                    (A) collaborate with trusted private sector 
                companies to counter the growing market share of 
                untrusted Chinese companies and to maintain and promote 
                United States market leadership in the cloud computing 
                and data center businesses;
                    (B) utilize financing mechanisms to incentivize 
                countries to choose trusted data center providers; and
                    (C) bolster multilateral cooperation, especially 
                with developing countries and emerging economies, to 
                promote the deployment of trusted data centers 
                worldwide.
            (3) Sixth (and future) generation technologies (6G), 
        including a description of efforts to--
                    (A) promote United States leadership in 6G 
                standards-setting processes;
                    (B) deepen cooperation with like-minded countries 
                to promote United States and allied market leadership 
                in 6G networks and technologies; and
                    (C) increase buy-in from developing countries and 
                emerging countries on United States and allied 6G 
                standards and trusted technologies.
            (4) Low-Earth orbit satellites, aerostats, and 
        stratospheric balloons, including a description of efforts to--
                    (A) develop the capabilities to rapidly deliver 
                wireless internet anywhere on the planet; and
                    (B) work with trusted private sector companies to 
                retain the ability to quickly provide internet 
                connection in response to emergency situations.

SEC. 4. INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL ECONOMIC AND TELECOMMUNICATION ADVISORY 
              COMMITTEE.

    (a) In General.--There is established in the Department of State an 
International Digital Economic and Telecommunication Advisory Committee 
(``IDET'').
    (b) Purpose.--The IDET shall seek to advise the Secretary of State 
on the formulation of United States strategies, policies, positions, 
and proposals on policy matters relevant to digital economy, digital 
connectivity, economic aspects of emerging digital technologies, 
telecommunications, and communications and information policy. Such 
advice shall include matters related to United States participation in 
the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Inter-American 
Telecommunication Commission of the Organization of American States, 
the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the 
Telecommunications and Information Working Group of the Asia Pacific 
Economic Cooperation Forum, the Group of Seven, the Digital Economy 
Task Force of the Goup of Twenty, and other relevant telecommunications 
standards-setting bodies.
    (c) Chair and Membership.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of State shall designate an 
        employee of the Department of State to serve as the Chair of 
        the IDET.
            (2) Members.--The Chair shall appoint not fewer than 20 
        members to the IDET who meet the qualifications listed in 
        paragraph (3).
            (3) Qualifications for members.--Members of the IDET shall 
        be appointed from among individuals who are citizens or legal 
        permanent residents of the United States. To ensure diversity 
        of advice, the IDET may not include more than one 
        representative of any one particular United States organization 
        during any period in which the IDET consists of 20 members or 
        fewer. Together, the members should represent a balance of 
        interests and diverse viewpoints and have substantial expertise 
        addressing these policy issues, participating in United States 
        preparatory activities for conferences and meetings of 
        international organizations, and serving on United States 
        delegations.
            (4) Organizations represented.--Members of the IDET shall 
        include representatives of the following--
                    (A) interested government agencies, whose 
                representatives shall serve as ex officio members;
                    (B) United States organizations, including 
                associations and scientific or industrial organizations 
                that are engaged in the study of telecommunications or 
                in the design or manufacture of equipment intended for 
                telecommunications services;
                    (C) civil society;
                    (D) academia; and
                    (E) organizations, institutions, or entities with 
                specific interest in digital economy, digital 
                connectivity, economic aspects of digital technologies, 
                and communications and information policy matters.
            (5) Removal.--The Chair may remove any member for any 
        reason.
    (e) Subcommittees.--
            (1) Private sector subcommittee.--
                    (A) Purpose.--The Chair shall establish a permanent 
                private sector subcommittee to provide the perspective 
                and expertise of private industry so that an 
                understanding of market forces, technical realities, 
                bidding environments, and industry equities informs the 
                recommendations of the IDET.
                    (B) Leadership.--The Chair shall appoint a chair of 
                the permanent subcommittee from among the members of 
                the IDET.
                    (C) Membership.--The subcommittee's membership 
                should represent the range of private sector entities 
                in critical telecommunications infrastructure and 
                technology.
            (2) Authorization.--The Chair may establish such other 
        subcommittees as the Chair may determine appropriate to provide 
        advice to the IDET on strategic planning and other 
        communications and information policy issues. Such 
        subcommittees shall provide advice only to the IDET and shall 
        not provide advice directly to the Secretary of State.
            (3) Membership.--Membership of subcommittees shall not be 
        limited to a prescribed number and may include more than one 
        member from one agency or organization designated for the 
        subcommittee.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated $250,000 to carry out this section.

SEC. 5. REPORT ON MALIGN INFLUENCE AT THE INTERNATIONAL 
              TELECOMMUNICATION UNION.

    (a) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of State shall develop and submit to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report on Russian and 
Chinese strategies and efforts--
            (1) to expand the mandate of the International 
        Telecommunication Union (ITU) to cover internet governance 
        policy; and
            (2) to advance other actions favorable to authoritarian 
        interests and/or hostile to fair, industry-led processes.
    (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall also 
identify efforts by China and Russia--
            (1) to increase the ITU's jurisdiction over internet 
        governance and to propose internet governance standards at the 
        ITU;
            (2) to leverage their private sectors to advance their 
        national interests through the ITU, including--
                    (A) encouraging Chinese and Russian companies to 
                leverage their market power to pressure other member 
                countries to deliver favorable decisions on ITU 
                elections; and
                    (B) China's efforts to leverage Huawei's role as 
                the primary telecommunications equipment and services 
                provider for many developing countries to compel such 
                countries to deliver favorable decisions on standards 
                proposals, election victories, candidate selection, and 
                other levers of power at the ITU; and
            (3) to use the influence of Chinese and Russian nationals 
        serving in the ITU to advantage the companies, standards 
        decisions, and candidates that advance the CCP and Kremlin's 
        interests.
    (c) Form.--The report required by this section shall be submitted 
in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.

SEC. 6. REPORT ON MULTILATERAL COORDINATION.

    Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of State, in coordination with the President of the 
Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Administrator for the 
United States Agency on International Development, and the Chief 
Executive Officer of the Development Finance Corporation, shall develop 
and submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a 
report that identifies opportunities for greater collaboration with 
allies and partners to promote secure information and communications 
technology infrastructure, including through--
            (1) joint financing efforts to help trusted vendors win 
        bids to build out information and communications technology 
        (ICT) infrastructure;
            (2) incorporating ICT focuses into allies' and partners' 
        international development finance initiatives;
            (3) establishing working groups focused on promoting 
        trusted ICT in international standard-setting bodies; and
            (4) diplomatic coordination to emphasize the importance of 
        secure telecommunications infrastructure to countries using 
        untrusted providers.
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