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The Federal Communications Commission: Current Structure and Its Role in the Changing Telecommunications Landscape

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The Federal Communications Commission: Current Structure and Its Role in the Changing Telecommunications Landscape

June 26August 14, 2017 (RL32589)
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Summary

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent federal agency with its five members appointed by the President, subject to confirmation by the Senate. It was established by the Communications Act of 1934 (1934 Act) and is charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. The mission of the FCC is to ensure that the American people have available—at reasonable cost and without discrimination—rapid, efficient, nation- and world-wide communication services, whether by radio, television, wire, satellite, or cable.

Although the FCC has restructured over the past few years to better reflect the industry, it is still required to adhere to the statutory requirements of its governing legislation, the Communications Act of 1934. The 1934 Act requires the FCC to regulate the various industry sectors differently. Some policymakers have been critical of the FCC and the manner in which it regulates various sectors of the telecommunications industry—telephone, cable television, radio and television broadcasting, and some aspects of the Internet. These policymakers, including some in Congress, have long called for varying degrees and types of reform to the FCC. Most proposals fall into two categories: (1) procedural changes made within the FCC or through congressional action that would affect the agency's operations or (2) substantive policy changes requiring congressional action that would affect how the agency regulates different services and industry sectors.

Since 2009, the FCC's entire budget is derived from regulatory fees collected by the agency rather than through a direct appropriation. The fees, often referred to as "Section (9) fees," are collected from license holders and certain other entities (e.g., cable television systems) and deposited into an FCC account. The law gives the FCC authority to review the regulatory fees and to adjust the fees to reflect changes in its appropriation from year to year. For FY2018, the commission requestedFor FY2018, the commission is requesting a budget of $322,035,000, all collected through regulatory fees. This request represents a decrease of $17,809,000 or 5.2% from the FY2017 level of $339,844,000. Specifically, the FCC requestsAs part of its request, the FCC requested $111,150,000 in budget authority for the spectrum auctions program, a decrease of $5,850,000 or 5% from the FY2017 level of $117,000,000. The House Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2018 (H.R. 3280) as reported on July 17, 2017, would appropriate the amounts requested.


The Federal Communications Commission: Current Structure and Its Role in the Changing Telecommunications Landscape

Overview of the Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent federal agency with its five members appointed by the President, subject to confirmation by the Senate. It was established by the Communications Act of 1934 (1934 Act, or "Communications Act")1 and is charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable.2 The mission of the FCC is to ensure that the American people have available, "without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex, a rapid, efficient, Nationwide, and worldwide wire and radio communication service with adequate facilities at reasonable charges."3

The 1934 Act is divided into titles and sections that describe various powers and concerns of the commission.4

  • Title I—FCC Administration and Powers. The 1934 Act originally called for a commission consisting of seven members, but that number was reduced to five in 1983. Commissioners are appointed by the President and approved by the Senate to serve five-year terms; the President designates one member to serve as chairman. No more than three commissioners may come from the political party of the President. Title I empowers the commission to create divisions or bureaus responsible for specific work assigned and to structure itself as it chooses.
  • Title II—Common carrier regulation, primarily telephone regulation, including circuit-switched telephone services offered by cable companies. Common carriers are communication companies that provide facilities for transmission but do not originate messages, such as telephone and microwave providers. The 1934 Act limits FCC regulation to interstate and international common carriers, although a joint federal-state board coordinates regulation between the FCC and state regulatory commissions.
  • Title III—Broadcast station requirements. Much existing broadcast regulation was established prior to 1934 by the Federal Radio Commission and most provisions of the Radio Act of 1927 were subsumed into Title III of the 1934 Act. Sections 303-307 define many of the powers given to the FCC with respect to broadcasting; other sections define limitations placed upon it. For example, Section 326 of Title III prevents the FCC from exercising censorship over broadcast stations. Also, parts of the U.S. code are linked to the Communications Act. For example, 18 U.S.C. 464 makes obscene or indecent language over a broadcast station illegal.
  • Title IV—Procedural and administrative provisions, such as hearings, joint boards, judicial review of the FCC's orders, petitions, and inquiries.
  • Title V—Penal provisions and forfeitures, such as violations of rules and regulations.
  • Title VI—Cable communications, such as the use of cable channels and cable ownership restrictions, franchising, and video programming services provided by telephone companies.
  • Title VII—Miscellaneous provisions and powers, such as war powers of the President, closed captioning of public service announcements, and telecommunications development fund.

FCC Leadership

The FCC is directed by five commissioners appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate for five-year terms (except when filling an unexpired term). The President designates one of the commissioners to serve as chairperson. Only three commissioners may be members of the same political party. None of them can have a financial interest in any commission-related business. Currently, there are three commissioners:

  • Ajit Pai, Chair (confirmed by the Senate on May 7, 2012, sworn in on May 14, 2012, for a term ending on June 30, 2017; has not yet been reconfirmed for new term); Brendan Carr (sworn in on August 3, 2017);
  • Mignon Clyburn (sworn in for a second term on February 19, 2013); and
  • Michael O'Rielly (sworn in for a second term on January 29, 2016, designated as chairman January 24, 2017).

The Senate must reconfirm Mr. Pai by the end of 2017.

); and
  • Jessica Rosenworcel (sworn in on August 3, 2017).
  • Only three commissioners may be members of the same political party. None of them can have a financial interest in any commission-related business.

    FCC Structure

    The day-to-day functions of the FCC are carried out by 7 bureaus and 10 offices. The current basic structure of the FCC was established in 2002 as part of the agency's effort to better reflect the industries it regulates. The seventh bureau, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, was established in 2006.

    The bureaus process applications for licenses and other filings, analyze complaints, conduct investigations, develop and implement regulatory programs, and participate in hearings, among other things. The offices provide support services. Bureaus and offices often collaborate when addressing FCC issues.5 The bureaus hold the following responsibilities:

    • Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau—Addresses all types of consumer-related matters from answering questions and responding to consumer complaints to distributing consumer education materials.
    • Enforcement Bureau—Enforces FCC rules, orders, and authorizations.
    • International Bureau—Administers the FCC's international telecommunications policies and obligations.
    • Media Bureau—Develops, recommends, and administers the policy and licensing programs relating to electronic media, including cable television, broadcast television, and radio in the United States and its territories.
    • Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau—Addresses issues such as public safety communications, alert and warning of U.S. citizens, continuity of government operations and continuity of operations planning, and disaster management coordination and outreach.
    • Wireless Telecommunications Bureau—Handles all FCC domestic wireless telecommunications programs and policies.6 Wireless communications services include cellular, paging, personal communications services, public safety, and other commercial and private radio services. This bureau also is responsible for implementing the competitive bidding authority for spectrum auctions.
    • Wireline Competition Bureau—Administers the FCC's policies concerning common carriers (the companies that provide long distance and local service to consumers and businesses). These companies provide services such as voice, data, and other telecommunication transmission services.

    FCC Strategic Plan

    The current FCC Strategic Plan covers the five-year period FY2015–FY2018.7 The plan outlines four goals:

    • Promoting Economic Growth and National Leadership. Telecommunications networks are a vital component of technological innovation and economic growth, helping to ensure that our nation remains a leader in providing its citizens opportunities for economic and educational development. Competition drives these networks to develop improved transmission technologies and to offer new services at competitive prices, and consumers can benefit from these fruits of competition. The FCC has a responsibility to promote the expansion of these networks and to ensure they have the incentive and the ability to compete fairly with one another in providing broadband services.
    • Protecting Public Interest Goals. A change in technology may require us to review and revise our rules, but it does not change the rights of users or the responsibilities of network providers. This civil bond between network providers and users includes consumer protection, competition, universal service, public safety, and national security. The FCC must protect and promote this Network Compact.
    • Making Networks Work for Everyone. Because broadband networks are essential to our national wellbeingwell-being, it is not enough for the FCC simply to promote their development. We must also ensure that all Americans can take advantage of the services they provide to enjoy 21st century educational systems, health care, communication capabilities for our first responders, and accessibility for Americans with disabilities, and to assure innovation without artificial impediments.
    • Promoting Operational Excellence. The FCC should be a model for excellence in government by effectively managing its resources and maintaining a commitment to transparent and responsive processes that encourage public involvement and decisionmaking that best serves the public interest.

    The FCC has identified performance objectives associated with each strategic goal. Commission management annually develops targets and measures related to each performance goal to provide direction toward accomplishing those goals. Targets and measures are published in the FCC's Performance Plan, submitted with the commission's annual budget request to Congress. Results of the commission's efforts to meet its goals, targets, and measures are found in the FCC's Annual Performance Report published each February. The FCC also issues a Summary of Performance and Financial Results every February, providing a concise, citizen-focused review of the agency's accomplishments.

    FCC Operations: Budget, Authorization, and Reporting to Congress

    Since the 110th Congress, the FCC has been funded through the House and Senate Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations processes as a single line item. Previously, it was funded through what is now the Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations process, also as a single line item.

    Since 2009 the FCC's budget has been derived from regulatory fees collected by the agency rather than through a direct appropriation.8 The fees, often referred to as "Section (9) fees," are collected from license holders and certain other entities (e.g., cable television systems), and deposited into an FCC account. The FCC is authorized to review the regulatory fees each year and adjust them to reflect changes in its appropriation from year to year. Most years, appropriations language prohibits the use by the commission of any excess collections received in the current fiscal year or any prior years. These funds remain in the FCC account and are not made available to other agencies or agency programs nor redirected into the Treasury's general fund. The FCC's budgets from FY2000 to FY20189 are in Figure 1.

    Figure 1. Historical FY2000-FY2018* Appropriated Budget Authority

    (Dollars in Millions)

    (*FY2018 figure is requested budget)

    Source: FCC.

    FCC FY2018 Budget

    For FY2018,10 the commission is requestingrequested a budget of $322,035,000, all collected through regulatory fees. This request represents a decrease of $17,809,000 or 5.2% from the FY2017 level of $339,844,000. For the spectrum auctions program, the FCC requests $111,150,000As part of its request, the FCC requested $111,150,000 in budget authority for the spectrum auctions program, a decrease of $5,850,000 or 5% from the FY2017 level of $117,000,000. The House Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2018 (H.R. 3280) as reported on July 17, 2017, would appropriate the amounts requested.

    FCC Authorization

    The FCC has not been formally authorized since the FCC Authorization Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-396) became law. Numerous bills have been introduced since that time, but none has become law.1011 In the 114th Congress, Senator John Thune introduced the FCC Reauthorization Act of 2016 (S. 2644). The bill was approved by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on April 27, 2016.

    115th Congress, no reauthorization legislation has been introduced, but a draft bill12 was released on July 25, 2017, during the hearing "Oversight and Reauthorization of the Federal Communications Commission."13 This draft would amend the Communications Act of 1934 to reauthorize appropriations for the FCC and impose procedural changes to the rules of the FCC aimed at maximizing public participation and efficient decisionmaking.

    FCC Reporting to Congress

    The FCC publishes four reports for Congress.

    • Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan is the framework around which the FCC develops its yearly Performance Plan and Performance Budget. The FCC submitted its current four-year Strategic Plan in February 2014, in accordance with the Government Performance and Results Modernization Act of 2010, P.L. 111-352.
    • Performance Budget. The annual Performance Budget includes performance targets based on the FCC's strategic goals and objectives, and serves as the guide for implementing the Strategic Plan. The Performance Budget becomes part of the President's annual budget request.
    • Agency Financial Report. The annual Agency Financial Report contains financial and other information, such as a financial discussion and analysis of the agency's status, financial statements, and audit reports.
    • Annual Performance Report. At the end of the fiscal year, the FCC publishes an Annual Performance Report that compares the agency's actual performance with its targets.1114

    All of these reports are available on the FCC website, http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia.

    FCC-Related Congressional Activity—115th Congress

    Legislation introduced in the 115th Congress that would affect the operation of the FCC is detailed in Table A-1. Hearings1. House and Senate hearings in the 115th Congress regarding the operation of the FCC are detailed in Table 2. Thus far, the Senate has held one hearing and the House has not held any.

    and Table 3, respectively. Links to individual hearing pages are included in these tables.

    Table 1. House and Senate Legislation—115th Congress

    Introduced

    Bill #

    Bill Title

    Sponsor

    Brief Summary

    Committee

    Bill Status

    1/17/17

    S. 174

    FCC Commission Consolidated Reporting Act

    Sens. Dean Heller and Brian Schatz

    Amend the Communications Act of 1934 to consolidate the reporting obligations of the FCC to improve congressional oversight and reduce reporting burdens.

    S. Commerce, Science, and Transportation

    1/24/2017 Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

    5/11/17: Reported in committee and placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Report available at https://www.congress.gov/115/crpt/srpt61/CRPT-115srpt61.pdf.

    1/17/17

    H.R. 583

    No title

    Rep. Marsha Blackburn

    Direct the FCC to revoke certain changes to the ownership reporting requirements for noncommercial educational broadcast stations.

    H. Energy and Commerce

    1/17/201717: Referred to committee.

    1/4/17

    H.R. 290

    FCC Process Reform Act

    Rep. Greg Walden

    Amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for greater transparency and efficiency in the procedures followed by the FCC.

    H. Energy and Commerce

    1/24/17 Received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Referred to committee.

    1/23/17

    H.R. 599

    FCC Consolidated Reporting Act

    Rep. Steve Scalise

    Combine eight congressionally mandated previous reports on the communications industry into one biennial report, while eliminating four other reports.

    H. Energy and Commerce

    1/24/17 Received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Referred to committee.

    1/13/17

    H.R. 557

    FCC 'ABCs' Act of 2017

    Rep. Robert Latta

    Amend the Communications Act of 1934 to reform the FCC by requiring an analysis of benefits and costs during the rule making process, among other goals.

    H. Energy and Commerce

    1/13/17 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

    Source: CRS.

    : Referred to committee.

    5/18/17

    H.R. 2546

    FCC CIO Parity Act

    Rep. Mimi Walters

    Require FCC to ensure that its Chief Information Officer has a significant role in information technology responsibilities.

    H. Energy and Commerce

    5/19/2017: Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.

    5/24/17

    H.R. 2636

    No title

    Rep. Bill Johnson

    To establish an independent inspector general for the FCC.

    H. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

    5/24/17: Referred to committee.

    Source: CRS.

    Table 2. Senate Hearings—115th Congress

    Commerce

    , Science, and Transportation

    Date

    Title

    3/8/17

    Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission

    7/19/17

    FCC Nominations Hearing

    https://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2017/7/nomination-hearing-fcc

    3/8/17

    Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission

    https://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2017/3/oversight-of-the-federal-communications-commission

    Source: CRS.

    Table 3. House Hearings—115th Congress

    Energy and Commerce

    Date

    Title

    7/25/17

    Oversight and Reauthorization of the Federal Communications Commission

    https://energycommerce.house.gov/hearings-and-votes/hearings/oversight-and-reauthorization-federal-communications-commission Draft legislation released: http://docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF16/20170725/106312/BILLS-115pih-FCCReauthorization.pdf

    Source: CRS.

    Appendix. FCC-Related Congressional Activity—114th Congress

    Congressional action in the 114th Congress is detailed in Table A-1, Table A-2, and Table A-3.

    Table A-1. House and Senate Legislation—114th Congress

    Introduced

    Bill #

    Bill Title

    Sponsor

    Brief Summary

    Committee

    Bill Status

    1/12/15

    H.R. 279

    No title

    Rep. Robert Latta

    Amend the Communications Act of 1934 to limit the authority of the FCC over providers of broadband Internet access service

    House Energy and Commerce

    1/16/15: Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.

    1/26/15

    S. 253

    S.Rept. 114-58

    Federal Communications Commission Consolidated Reporting Act of 2015

    Sen. Dean Heller

    Amend the Communications Act of 1934 to replace various reporting requirements with a bi-annualbiannual communications marketplace report that the FCC would be required to publish on its website and submit to Congress.

    Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation

    6/10/15: Passed the Senate.
    6/11/15: Received in the House and held at the desk.

    2/02/15

    H.R. 655

    FCC 'ABCs' Act of 2015

    Rep. Robert Latta

    Amend the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the FCC, in the case of a proposed or final rule (including a proposed or final amendment to an existing rule) that may have an economically significant impact, to include in the notice a cost-benefit analysis demonstrating that the benefits outweigh the costs.

    House Energy and Commerce

    2/25/15: Received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

    2/04/15

    H.R. 734

    H.Rept. 114-27

    Federal Communications Commission Consolidated Reporting Act of 2015

    Rep. Steve Scalise

    See summary of S. 253

    House Energy and Commerce

    4/27/16: Approved by the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

    2/10/15

    S. 421

    Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2015

    Sen. Dean Heller

    Amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for greater transparency and efficiency in the procedures followed by the FCC, and for other purposes.

    Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation

    4/27/16: Approved by the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

    2/26/15

    H.R. 1106

    States' Rights Municipal Broadband Act of 2015

    Rep. Marsha Blackburn

    Amend Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to provide that such section does not authorize the FCC to preempt the laws of certain States relating to the regulation of municipal broadband, and for other purposes.

    House Energy and Commerce

    2/27/15: Referred to the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.

    2/26/15

    S. 597

    States' Rights Municipal Broadband Act of 2015

    Sen. Thom Tillis

    See summary of H.R. 1106

    Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation

    2/26/15: Referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

    3/3/15

    H.R. 1212

    Internet Freedom Act

    Rep. Marsha Blackburn

    Prohibit the FCC from reclassifying broadband Internet access service as a telecommunications service and from imposing certain regulations on providers of such service.

    House Energy and Commerce

    3/6/15: Referred to the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.

    3/17/15

    H.R. 1396

    Federal Communications Commission Collaboration Act of 2015

    Rep. Anna Eshoo

    Amend the Communications Act of 1934 to authorize a bipartisan majority of Commissioners of the FCC to hold nonpublic collaborative discussions.

    House Energy and Commerce

    3/20/15: Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.

    6/18/15

    S. 1607

    Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act of 2015

    Sen. Rob Portman

    Authorizes the President to require an independent regulatory agency to (1) comply with regulatory analysis requirements applicable to other federal agencies; (2) provide the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs with the costs and benefits of a proposed or final economically significant rule and an assessment of alternatives to the rule; and (3) submit for review any proposed or final economically significant rule. Prohibits judicial review of the compliance or noncompliance of an independent regulatory agency with the requirements of this act.

    Senate Homeland Security and Govern. talGovernmental Affairs

    10/7/2015: Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

    3/17/15

    S. 760

    Federal Communications Commission Collaboration Act of 2015

    Sen. Dean Heller

    Amend the Communications Act of 1934 to authorize a bipartisan majority of Commissioners of the FCC to hold nonpublic collaborative discussions.

    Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation

    3/17/15: Referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

    5/29/15

    H.R. 2583

    Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2015

    Rep. Greg Walden

    Amend the Communications Act of 1934 to provide for greater transparency and efficiency in the procedures followed by the FCC.

    House Energy and Commerce

    6/3/15: Ordered to be reported (amended) by voice vote.

    6/1/15

    H.R. 2589

    No title

    Rep. Renee L. Ellmers

    Amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require the FCC to publish on its Internet website changes to the rules of the commission not later than 24 hours after adoption.

    House Energy and Commerce

    6/5/15: Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology

    06/1/15

    H.R. 2592

    No title

    Rep. Adam Kinzinger

    Amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require the FCC to publish on the website of the commission documents to be voted on by the commission.

    House Energy and Commerce

    6/5/15: Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology

    6/1/15

    H.R. 2593

    No title

    Rep. Robert E. Latta

    Amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require identification and description on the website of the FCC of items to be decided on authority delegated by the commission.

    House Energy and Commerce

    6/5/15: Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology

    3/7/16

    S. 2644

    FCC Reauthorization Act of 2016

    Sen. John Thune

    To reauthorize the FCC for FY2017 and 2018, and for other purposes.

    Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation

    3/7/16: Introduced

    Source: CRS.

    Table A-2. House Hearings—114th Congress

    Energy and Commerce

    Oversight and Government Reform

    Judiciary

    Date

    Title

    Date

    Title

    Date

    Title

    2/25/15

    The Uncertain Future of the Internet

    2/25/15

    FCC Process: Examining the Relationship Between the FCC and the White House (POSTPONEDCanceled)

    3/2/15

    Discussion of H.R. 1155, the Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome ("SCRUB") Act of 2015a

    3/04/15

    Reauthorization of the Federal Communications Commission: The FCC's FY2016 Budget Request

    3/17/15

    FCC: Process and Transparency

    3/25/15

    Wrecking the Internet to Save It? The FCC's Open Internet Rule

    3/19/15

    FCC Reauthorization: Oversight of the Commission

     

     

     

     

    4/30/15

    FCC Reauthorization: Improving Commission Transparency

     

     

     

    5/15/15

    FCC Reauthorization: Improving Commission Transparency—Part II

     

     

     

    7/28/15

    Continued Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission

    Appropriations

     

     

    11/17/15

    Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission

    3/24/15

    FCC Budget Hearing

     

     

    1/12/16

    Legislative Hearing on Four Communications Bills

    3/15/16

    FCC Budget Hearing

     

     

    4/13/16

    Legislative Hearing on Seven Communications Bills

     

     

     

     

    Source: CRS.

    a. This hearing also included discussion of two bills not related to FCC procedure: H.R. 348, the "RAPID Act," and H.R. 712, the "Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015."

    Table A-3. Senate Hearings—114th Congress

    Commerce

    Homeland Security and Government Affairs

    Judiciary

    Date

    Title

    Date

    Title

     

     

    3/18/15

    Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission

    2/25/15

    Toward a 21st-Century Regulatory System

    No hearings.

    4/27/16

    Hearing to consider S. 2644, the FCC Reauthorization Act of 2016, to reauthorize the FCC for FY2017 and 2018, and other purposes.

    Appropriations

     

     

    9/16/16

    Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission

    5/12/15

    FCC Budget Hearing

     

     

    Source: CRS.

    Author Contact Information

    [author name scrubbed], Specialist in Internet and Telecommunications Policy ([email address scrubbed], [phone number scrubbed])

    Footnotes

    108th Congress, S. 1264, FCC Reauthorization Act of 2003, SenatorSen. John McCain; 104th Congress, H.R. 1869, Federal Communications Commission Authorization Act, RepresentativeRep. Jack Fields; 103rd Congress, H.R. 4522, Federal Communications Commission Authorization Act, RepresentativeRep. Edward Markey, and 103rd Congress, S. 2336, Federal Communications Commission Authorization Act, SenatorSen. Daniel Inouye; and 102nd Congress, S. 1132, Federal Communications Commission Authorization Act, SenatorSen. Daniel Inouye.

    14.
    1.

    The Communications Act of 1934, 47 U.S.C. §151 et seq., has been amended numerous times, most significantly in recent years by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, P.L. 104-104, 110 Stat. 56 (1996). References in this report are to the 1934 Act, as amended, unless indicated. A compendium of communications-related laws is available from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce at http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/pubs/108-D.pdf. It includes selected Actsacts within the jurisdiction of the committee, including the Communications Act of 1934, Telecommunications Act of 1996, Communications Satellite Act of 1962, National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organizations Act, Telephone Disclosure and Dispute Resolution Act, Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, as well as additional communications statutes and selected provisions from the U.S. Code. The compendium was last amended on December 31, 2002.

    2.

    See "About the FCC," at http://www.fcc.gov/aboutus.html.

    3.

    47 U.S.C. §151.

    4.

    When Congress established the FCC in 1934, it merged responsibilities previously assigned to the Federal Radio Commission, the Interstate Commerce Commission, and the Postmaster General into a single agency, divided into three bureaus, Broadcast, Telegraph, and Telephone. See Analysis of the Federal Communications Commission, Fritz Messere, at http://www.oswego.edu/~messere/FCC1.html and the Museum of Broadcast Communications Archive at http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/F/htmlF/federalcommu/federalcommu.htm for additional information on the history of the FCC.

    5.

    FCC Fact Sheet, http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/aboutfcc.html.

    6.

    Except those involving satellite communications broadcasting, including licensing, enforcement, and regulatory functions. These functions are handled by the International Bureau.

    7.

    The plan originally covered FY2014-FY2018 and was revised in 2015.

    8.

    The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-66, 47 U.S.C. §159) requires that the FCC annually collect fees and retain them for FCC use to offset certain costs incurred by the commission. The FCC implemented the regulatory fee collection program by rulemaking on July 18, 1994.

    9.

    The figure for FY2018 is the FCC's requested budget.

    10.

    Federal Communications Commission, FY2018 Budget Estimates to Congress, https://www.fcc.gov/document/fy-2018-fcc-budget, May 23, 2017.

    11.
    1112.

    See http://docs.house.gov/meetings/IF/IF16/20170725/106312/BILLS-115pih-FCCReauthorization.pdf.

    13.

    See https://energycommerce.house.gov/hearings-and-votes/hearings/oversight-and-reauthorization-federal-communications-commission.

    OMB Circular A-136 allows agencies the option of producing (1) two separate reports, an Agency Financial Report and an Annual Performance Report, or (2) a consolidated Performance and Accountability Report. The same information is provided to Congress in either case. The FCC elected the first option for FY2011. Also, in addition to the reports it submits to Congress, the FCC publishes an annual Summary of Performance and Financial Information, which is a citizen-focused summary of the FCC's yearly activities.