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BALANCED BUDGET ACT OF 1997

TITLE III-COMMUNICATIONS AND SPECTRUM ALLOCATION PROVISIONS

SEC. 3001. [47 U.S.C. 153 nt] DEFINITIONS.

(a) [47 U.S.C. 153 nt] COMMON TERMINOLOGY.-Except as otherwise provided in this title, the terms used in this title have the meanings provided in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 153), as amended by this section.

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(b) [47 U.S.C. 925 nt] ACCELERATED AVAILABILITY FOR AUCTION OF 1,710-1,755 MEGAHERTZ FROM INITIAL REALLOCATION REPORT. The band of frequencies located at 1,710-1,755 megahertz identified in the initial reallocation report under section 113(a) of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Act (47 U.S.C. 923(a)) shall, notwithstanding the timetable_recommended under section 113(e) of such Act and section 115(b)(1) of such Act, be available in accordance with this subsection for assignment for commercial use. The Commission shall assign licenses for such use by competitive bidding commenced after January 1, 2001, pursuant to section 309(j) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 309(j)).

(c) [47 U.S.C. 925 nt] COMMISSION OBLIGATION TO MAKE ADDITIONAL SPECTRUM AVAILABLE BY AUCTION.

(1) IN GENERAL.-The Commission shall complete all actions necessary to permit the assignment by September 30, 2002, by competitive bidding pursuant to section 309(j) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 309(j)), of licenses for the use of bands of frequencies that—

(A) in the aggregate span not less than 55 megahertz; (B) are located below 3 gigahertz;

(C) have not, as of the date of enactment of this Act(i) been designated by Commission regulation for assignment pursuant to such section;

(ii) been identified by the Secretary of Commerce pursuant to section 113 of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 923);

(iii) been allocated for Federal Government use pursuant to section 305 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 305);

(iv) been designated for reallocation under section 337 of the Communications Act of 1934 (as added by this Act); or

(v) been allocated or authorized for unlicensed use pursuant to part 15 of the Commission's regulations (47 C.F.R. Part 15), if the operation of services licensed pursuant to competitive bidding would interfere with operation of end-user products permitted under such regulations;

(D) include frequencies at 2,110–2,150 megahertz; and (E) include 15 megahertz from within the bands of frequencies at 1,990-2,110 megahertz.

(2) CRITERIA FOR REASSIGNMENT.-In making available bands of frequencies for competitive bidding pursuant to paragraph (1), the Commission shall

(A) seek to promote the most efficient use of the electromagnetic spectrum;

(B) consider the cost of relocating existing uses to other bands of frequencies or other means of communication;

(C) consider the needs of existing public safety radio services (as such services are described in section 309(j)(2)(A) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended by this Act);

(D) comply with the requirements of international agreements concerning spectrum allocations; and

(E) coordinate with the Secretary of Commerce when there is any impact on Federal Government spectrum use. (3) USE OF BANDS AT 2,110-2,150 MEGAHERTZ.-The Commission shall reallocate spectrum located at 2,110-2,150 megahertz for assignment by competitive bidding unless the Commission determines that auction of other spectrum (A) better serves the public interest, convenience, and necessity, and (B) can reasonably be expected to produce greater receipts. If the Commission makes such a determination, then the Commission shall, within 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, identify an alternative 40 megahertz, and report to the Congress an identification of such alternative 40 megahertz for assignment by competitive bidding.

(4) USE OF 15 MEGAHERTZ FROM BANDS AT 1,990-2,110 MEGAHERTZ.-The Commission shall reallocate 15 megahertz from spectrum located at 1,990-2,110 megahertz for assignment by competitive bidding unless the President determines such spectrum cannot be reallocated due to the need to protect incumbent Federal systems from interference, and that allocation of other spectrum (A) better serves the public interest, convenience, and necessity, and (B) can reasonably be expected to produce comparable receipts. If the President makes such a determination, then the President shall, within 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, identify alternative bands of frequencies totalling 15 megahertz, and report to the Congress an identification of such alternative bands for assignment by competitive bidding.

(5) NOTIFICATION TO THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE.-The Commission shall attempt to accommodate incumbent licensees displaced under this section by relocating them to other frequencies available for allocation by the Commission. The Commission shall notify the Secretary of Commerce whenever the Commission is not able to provide for the effective relocation of an incumbent licensee to a band of frequencies available to the Commission for assignment. The notification shall include(A) specific information on the incumbent licensee; (B) the bands the Commission considered for relocation of the licensee;

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(C) the reasons the licensee cannot be accommodated in such bands; and

(D) the bands of frequencies identified by the Commission that are

(i) suitable for the relocation of such licensee; and (ii) allocated for Federal Government use, but that could be reallocated pursuant to part B of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act (as amended by this Act).

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SEC. 3006. [47 U.S.C. 254 nt] UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND PAYMENT

SCHEDULE.

(a) APPROPRIATIONS TO THE UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND.—

(1) APPROPRIATION.-There is hereby appropriated to the Commission $3,000,000,000 in fiscal year 2001, which shall be disbursed on October 1, 2000, to the Administrator of the Federal universal service support programs established pursuant to section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254), and which may be expended by the Administrator in support of such programs as provided pursuant to the rules implementing that section.

(2) RETURN TO TREASURY.-The Administrator shall transfer $3,000,000,000 from the funds collected for such support programs to the General Fund of the Treasury on October 1, 2001.

(b) FEE ADJUSTMENTS.-The Commission shall direct the Administrator to adjust payments by telecommunications carriers and other providers of interstate telecommunications so that the $3,000,000,000 of the total payments by such carriers or providers to the Administrator for fiscal year 2001 shall be deferred until October 1, 2001.

(c) PRESERVATION OF AUTHORITY.-Nothing in this section shall affect the Administrator's authority to determine the amounts that should be expended for universal service support programs pursuant to section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 and the rules implementing that section.

(d) DEFINITION.-For purposes of this section, the term "Administrator" means the Administrator designated by the Federal Communications Commission to administer Federal universal service support programs pursuant to section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934.

[Section 3007 repealed by section 3(b)(2) of the Auction Reform Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-195; 116 Stat. 717).]

SEC. 3008. [47 U.S.C. 309 nt] ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES FOR SPECTRUM AUCTIONS.

Notwithstanding section 309(b) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 309(b)), no application for an instrument of authorization for frequencies assigned under this title (or amendments made by this title) shall be granted by the Commission earlier than 7 days following issuance of public notice by the Commission of the acceptance for filing of such application or of any substantial amendment thereto. Notwithstanding section 309(d)(1) of such Act (47 U.S.C. 309(d)(1)), the Commission may specify a period (no less than 5 days following issuance of such public notice) for the filing of petitions to deny any application for an instrument of authorization for such frequencies.

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