H.R. 2501 would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to update their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Spectrum Coordination from 2003. Under the bill, the agencies would need to establish timelines to exchange information on spectrum coordination, ensure the efficient use of spectrum, and improve their process for resolving disputes about frequency allocation.
The agencies are currently in the process of updating the MOU. Using information from the FCC, CBO estimates that it would cost less than $500,000 for the FCC and NTIA to complete this process and meet the specifications in the bill. Any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Because the FCC is authorized to collect fees each year sufficient to offset the appropriated costs of its regulatory activities, CBO estimates that the net cost to the FCC would be negligible, assuming appropriation actions consistent with that authority.
If the FCC increases annual fee collections to offset the costs of implementing provisions in the bill, H.R. 2501 would increase the cost of an existing private-sector mandate on entities required to pay those fees. CBO estimates that the incremental cost of the mandate would be small and would fall well below the annual threshold established in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act for private-sector mandates ($170 million in 2021, adjusted annually for inflation).
