S. 1040: Broadband for First Responders Act of 2011

112th Congress · introduced 2011-05-19 · Science, Technology, Communications · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2011-05-19 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Lieberman, Joseph I. [ID-CT] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Broadband for First Responders Act of 2011

Plain summary

Broadband for First Responders Act of 2011 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to increase the electromagnetic spectrum allocation for public safety services by 10 megahertz and reduce such allocation for commercial use by the same amount. Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to: (1) allocate the paired electromagnetic spectrum bands of 758-763 megahertz and 788-793 megahertz (referred to as D Block) for public safety broadband communications and license such paired bands to public safety; (2) establish rules to permit a public safety broadband licensee to authorize public safety service providers to construct and operate a wireless public safety broadband network in the public safety broadband spectrum; (3) require the wireless public safety broadband network to be fully interoperable, provide for user roaming and priority access to public safety entities, be disaster survivable, have appropriate cyber security, and enable authorized users to develop local networks; (4) authorize the shared use, sublicensing, or leasing of the public safety broadband spectrum and network infrastructure by entities that are not defined as public safety services; (5) allow use of the public safety broadband spectrum by emergency response providers; and (6) establish rules enabling nationwide wireless public safety broadband network interoperability and roaming across any commercial network. Requires each state to submit a plan to the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FCC detailing the terms and aspects of the phased deployment for wireless public safety broadband network to be constructed in the public safety broadband spectrum. Specifies organizations that shall be included in the Board of Directors of the Public Safety Broadband Licensee. Establishes in the Treasury: (1) the Public Safety Interoperable Broadband Network Construction Fund, and (2) the Public Safety Interoperable Broadband Network Maintenance and Operation Fund. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) establish a grant program to assist states, municipalities, and Indian tribes to establish a nationwide public safety interoperable broadband network in the 700 megahertz band, and (2) administer a program through which not more than 50% of maintenance and operational expenses associated with the public safety interoperable broadband network may be reimbursed from the Maintenance and Operation Fund. Directs: (1) the Assistant Secretary of Commerce to identify at least 15 megahertz of contiguous spectrum between 1675 and 1710 megahertz for reallocation, and (2) the FCC to auction various specified spectrum ranges. Extends the FCC's authority to grant a license or permit under applicable competitive bidding provisions to September 30, 2020. Directs each federal law enforcement agency, within 10 years, to move all noncommercial network communications to spectrum located in the 700 and 800 megahertz bands. Prohibits the FCC, subject to exceptions, from renewing public safety licenses between 170 and 512 megahertz. Directs the FCC to revise specified regulations relating to the 4940 to 4990 megahertz band to ensure governmental public safety services retain primary spectrum use authority and set forth conditions on secondary use by nongovernmental entities. Requires a recurring licensing fee for secondary spectrum use.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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A “Yea” vote

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A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Broadband for First Responders Act of 2011

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Lieberman, Joseph I. [ID-CT] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (4)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112s1040.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/s>

Record fed-us-cong112-s1040 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112