H.R. 2593, a bill to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require identification and description on the website of the Federal Communications Commission of items to be decided on authority delegated by the Commission
Cost Estimate
As ordered reported by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on April 28, 2016
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency governed by a five-member commission that regulates various aspects of wireline (telephone, for example), wireless, cable, and satellite communications. Under current law, the commissioners are authorized to delegate authority to the FCC staff to undertake certain routine actions without a vote by the commissioners. H.R. 2593 would require the FCC to identify and describe those actions on its website at least 48 hours before an order, decision, report, or action is made or taken under that delegated authority.
Based on information from the FCC, CBO estimates that complying with the requirements in H.R. 2593 would have no significant effect on the agency’s workload or costs. Moreover, under current law, the FCC is authorized to collect fees sufficient to offset the cost of its regulatory activities each year. Therefore, CBO estimates that the net cost to implement H.R. 2593 would be negligible, assuming annual appropriation actions consistent with the agency’s authorities. Because enacting H.R. 2593 would not affect direct spending or revenues, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2593 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027.
H.R. 2593 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments.