The U.S. House of Representatives on March 6 passed the Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services Act, or RAY BAUM'S Act, which amends the Communications Act of 1934, a bipartisan legislative package that reauthorizes the Federal Communications Commission for the financial years 2019 and 2020.
The bill requires that FCC-collected fees be deposited and credited as offsetting collections, and that regulatory and application fees are assessed at rates to recover costs associated with such activities.
The bill also necessitates that the Treasury Department accept bidding deposits for FCC-held spectrum auctions and that successful bidders' deposits be used for deficit reduction.
According to the legislation, the FCC is required to "complete a rulemaking proceeding and adopt procedural changes to maximize opportunities for public participation and efficient decision-making," "amend station antenna structure regulations to prohibit certain private land use restrictions from applying to amateur radio stations" and "submit a study on the public safety benefits, technical feasibility and cost of providing the public with access to 9-1-1 services during times of emergency when mobile service is unavailable."
The FCC received appropriations of $322,035,000 for each of the fiscal years 2019 and 2020.
