H.R. 451: Don't Break Up the T-Band Act of 2020

116th Congress · introduced 2019-01-10 · Science, Technology, Communications · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2019-01-10 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Engel, Eliot L. [D-NY-16] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: 1 recorded vote in our records. Latest: House roll call 201 (2020): On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, HR451 (2020-09-23), Passed. See all
Where it stands now: Received in the Senate and 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

Don't Break Up the T-Band Act of 2020

Plain summary

Don't Break Up the T-Band Act of 2020 This bill repeals a provision requiring the reallocation of spectrum currently used by public safety entities and otherwise addresses 9–1–1 fees and charges collected for the purpose of supporting 9–1–1 services. Specifically, the bill repeals the requirement for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reallocate and auction the 470-512 MHz band (referred to as the T-Band spectrum ). The T-Band spectrum is a frequency range currently utilized by public safety entities in certain urban areas. The bill also requires the FCC to issue rules designating acceptable purposes and functions for the obligation or expenditure of 9–1–1 fees or charges. Such purposes and functions shall be limited to the support and implementation of 9–1–1 services and the operational expenses of public safety answering points (i.e., the points where emergency calls are routed), but a state or taxing jurisdiction may petition the FCC for a determination that other purposes or functions should be treated as acceptable purposes or functions. In addition, the bill establishes the Ending 9–1–1 Fee Diversion Now Strike Force, to which the FCC must submit any evidence it obtains that a state or taxing jurisdiction is diverting 9–1–1 fees or charges. The strike force must (1) study how the federal government can end such diversion through a determination of the effectiveness of laws and other constraints, (2) consider whether criminal penalties should be implemented to prevent further diversion, and (3) determine the impacts of such diversion.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Don't Break Up the T-Band Act of 2020

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House)

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Engel, Eliot L. [D-NY-16] · 24 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Al Green (D-TX), Adam B. Schiff (D-CA), Norma J. Torres (D-CA), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), Grace Meng (D-NY), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Thomas R. Suozzi (D-NY), Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Joe Neguse (D-CO)

Recorded votes

House roll call 201 (2020): On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, HR451 (2020-09-23): Passed

Words on this page, explained (4)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Jurisdiction: The area or the matters a government or court has authority over.
Obligation: A binding promise by a government agency to pay money, for example by signing a contract or awarding a grant. Spending data such as USAspending.gov counts money when it is obligated, which can be before it is actually paid out.
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.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116hr451.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/hr>

Record fed-us-cong116-hr451 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116