ITS Codification Act

Download PDF
Bill ID: 119/hr/1455
Last Updated: September 7, 2026

Sponsored by

Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]

ID: C001103

Follow the money

The bill

ITS Codification Act

HR. 1455, 119th Congress — read as touching Telecommunications.

The sponsor

Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]

Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.

The money

$71,565 raised

23 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.

The alignment

85% match to Project 2025

This bill's text tracks the "Department of Commerce" section, p. 720-722 of the Mandate for Leadership.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

July 14, 2025

Introduced

Committee Review

Floor Action

Passed House

Senate Review

📍 Current Status

Next: Both chambers must agree on the same version of the bill.

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of our esteemed Congress. Let's dissect this monstrosity and expose the underlying disease.

**Main Purpose & Objectives**

The ITS Codification Act (HR 1455) claims to codify the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS), a test center within the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The bill's primary objective is to establish an initiative supporting the development of emergency communication and tracking technologies. How noble.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law**

The bill amends Part A of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act, adding a new section that:

1. Establishes the ITS as the primary laboratory for the executive branch to study radio frequency emissions, spectrum propagation characteristics, and other related activities. 2. Authorizes the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to operate the ITS and delegate functions to it. 3. Allows the Assistant Secretary to enter into agreements with private sector entities and Federal agencies to support the development of emergency communication and tracking technologies.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders**

The usual suspects:

1. The NTIA, which will now have a codified test center to play with. 2. Private sector entities, who will likely benefit from government contracts and funding for developing emergency communication and tracking technologies. 3. Federal agencies, which will get to participate in the development of these technologies (read: more bureaucratic red tape). 4. The general public, who might, just might, see some benefits from improved emergency response systems.

**Potential Impact & Implications**

Now, let's peel back the layers of spin and expose the real motivations:

1. **Money**: This bill is a cash cow for private sector entities and Federal agencies. Expect lucrative contracts and funding opportunities to flow like water. 2. **Power**: The NTIA and Assistant Secretary will gain more control over spectrum management and emergency response systems, further consolidating power within the executive branch. 3. **Ego**: Congress gets to pat itself on the back for "supporting innovation" and "improving public safety," while actually doing very little of substance.

In conclusion, HR 1455 is a textbook example of legislative theater, designed to create the illusion of progress while serving the interests of powerful stakeholders. The real disease here is the corrupting influence of money and power in our government, which perpetuates a cycle of bureaucratic inefficiency and cronyism.

Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

💰 Campaign Finance Network

Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$71,565
20 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$2,500
Committees
$0
Individuals
$69,065

No PAC contributions found

1
SAVANNAH TOYOTA
2 transactions
$2,000
2
TYBEE MARKET
1 transaction
$500

No committee contributions found

1
SADOWSKI, GARY T.
2 transactions
$6,600
2
KIMBELL, JEFFREY
2 transactions
$6,600
3
SMITH, BYRON L.
1 transaction
$5,000
4
MUNOZ, DONALD
1 transaction
$4,665
5
RICKS, DAVID A.
1 transaction
$3,300
6
STEERE, WILLIAM C. JR.
1 transaction
$3,300
7
HENNESSY, MARK W.
1 transaction
$3,300
8
MCWANE, C. PHILLIP
1 transaction
$3,300
9
MILNER, STEPHEN DONALD
1 transaction
$3,300
10
BOERNER, CHRISTOPHER
1 transaction
$3,300
11
DAVIS, ROBERT M.
1 transaction
$3,300
12
GATES, WILLIAM H. III
1 transaction
$3,300
13
HEAD, KATHRYN
1 transaction
$3,300
14
MARTIN, JOHN
1 transaction
$3,300
15
O'DAY, DANIEL
1 transaction
$3,300
16
RABAH, TAREK
1 transaction
$3,300
17
HENNESSY, MARK W
1 transaction
$3,300
18
HENNESSY, PAULA B.
1 transaction
$3,300

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 1 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Rep. Pettersen, Brittany [D-CO-7]

ID: P000620

Top Contributors

32

1
HABEMATOLEL POMO OF UPPER LAKE TRIBE OF CALIFORNIA
OrganizationUPPER LAKE, CA
$3,300
Mar 31, 2023
2
HABEMATOLEL POMO OF UPPER LAKE TRIBE OF CALIFORNIA
OrganizationUPPER LAKE, CA
$3,300
Mar 31, 2023
3
OTOE-MISSOURIA TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA
OrganizationRED ROCK, OK
$3,300
Mar 31, 2023
4
OTOE-MISSOURIA TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA
OrganizationRED ROCK, OK
$3,300
Mar 31, 2023
5
TURTLE MOUNTAIN BAND OF CHIPPEWA OF NORTH DAKOTA
OrganizationBELCOURT, ND
$3,300
Mar 31, 2023
6
TURTLE MOUNTAIN BAND OF CHIPPEWA OF NORTH DAKOTA
OrganizationBELCOURT, ND
$3,300
Jun 10, 2024
7
EASTERN BAND OF CHEROKEE INDIANS
OrganizationCHEROKEE, NC
$3,300
Oct 16, 2024
8
THE CHICKASAW NATION
OrganizationADA, OK
$2,300
Dec 21, 2023
9
BGR GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, LLC
OrganizationWASHINGTON, DC
$1,000
Oct 12, 2023
10
THE CHICKASAW NATION
OrganizationADA, OK
$1,000
May 22, 2023

Donor Network - Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

Loading...

Showing 40 nodes and 43 connections

Total contributions: $43

Top Donors - Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]

Showing top 20 donors by contribution amount

2 Orgs18 Individuals

Industry Impact

Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 2 helped.

  • +Telecommunicationsconfidence 0.90

    Section 2(b)(1) establishes an initiative to support development of emergency communication and tracking technologies, which benefits telecommunications firms involved in such technologies.

  • Section 2(b)(2)(B) supports development of technical specifications and conformance architecture for emergency communication technologies, which may involve AI and cloud infrastructure for data processing and analytics.

Project 2025 Policy Matches

This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document.AI-enhanced analysis provides detailed alignment ratings.

Department of Commerce

Strong
Vector: 65%
Pages: 720-722AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"HR 1455 aligns strongly with Project 2025's NTIA objectives by codifying the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences to enhance spectrum utilization, support federal spectrum management, and advance emergency communication technologies—directly supporting goals like expanding federal spectrum utilization and strengthening NTIA's role in telecommunications policy."

Key themes:spectrum utilizationNTIA strengtheningemergency communicationsfederal spectrum leasingtelecommunications policy

— 687 — Department of Commerce that do not allow open access to their markets should not be setting the standards for markets that do allow open access. The incoming Administration should consider increased government-sponsored participation by private companies and government employees with relevant expertise. NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION SERVICE The independent National Telecommunications and Information Service (NTIS) is charged with ensuring that federally funded research and data are accessible to the public. NTIS operates through user fees but is largely obsolete due to modern usage of the internet by federal agencies and researchers. NTIS’s functions should be moved to NIST and consolidated with the Tech Transfer and ROI initiatives. NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION The National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA) is the exec- utive branch’s statutory lead on telecommunications and information policy. It focuses on broadband access, spectrum utilization, and other issues that are crucial to the high-tech economy. For decades, NTIA has suffered from organizational malaise and will require strong and energetic leadership by political appointees to implement conservative policies. The next Administration will face the primary challenge of rapidly deploying 5G without compromising other priorities. Further recommendations include: l Support free speech and hold big tech accountable. Immediately conduct a thorough review of federal policy regarding free speech online and provide policy solutions to address big tech’s censorship of speech. l Utilize new tools to eliminate threats to national security. Fully implement the Trump Administration’s Information and Communications Technology and Services (ICTS) Executive Order authorities in a way that ensures long-term success and the legal viability of this new national security tool.9 l Expand utilization of federal spectrum. Begin short term, temporary leasing of government allocated spectrum to ensure optimum utilization while preserving federal agency use rights. l Support the commercial space industry. Advocate for licensing decisions at the Federal Communications Commission that continue to enable U.S. dominance in the commercial space industry.

Department of Commerce

Strong
Vector: 63%
Pages: 720-722AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"HR 1455 aligns strongly with Project 2025's NTIA-focused objectives by codifying the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences to enhance spectrum utilization, support federal spectrum management, and advance emergency communication technologies—directly supporting goals like expanding federal spectrum utilization and strengthening NTIA's role in telecommunications policy."

Key themes:spectrum utilizationNTIA strengtheningemergency communicationsfederal spectrum leasingtelecommunications policy

— 687 — Department of Commerce that do not allow open access to their markets should not be setting the standards for markets that do allow open access. The incoming Administration should consider increased government-sponsored participation by private companies and government employees with relevant expertise. NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION SERVICE The independent National Telecommunications and Information Service (NTIS) is charged with ensuring that federally funded research and data are accessible to the public. NTIS operates through user fees but is largely obsolete due to modern usage of the internet by federal agencies and researchers. NTIS’s functions should be moved to NIST and consolidated with the Tech Transfer and ROI initiatives. NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION The National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA) is the exec- utive branch’s statutory lead on telecommunications and information policy. It focuses on broadband access, spectrum utilization, and other issues that are crucial to the high-tech economy. For decades, NTIA has suffered from organizational malaise and will require strong and energetic leadership by political appointees to implement conservative policies. The next Administration will face the primary challenge of rapidly deploying 5G without compromising other priorities. Further recommendations include: l Support free speech and hold big tech accountable. Immediately conduct a thorough review of federal policy regarding free speech online and provide policy solutions to address big tech’s censorship of speech. l Utilize new tools to eliminate threats to national security. Fully implement the Trump Administration’s Information and Communications Technology and Services (ICTS) Executive Order authorities in a way that ensures long-term success and the legal viability of this new national security tool.9 l Expand utilization of federal spectrum. Begin short term, temporary leasing of government allocated spectrum to ensure optimum utilization while preserving federal agency use rights. l Support the commercial space industry. Advocate for licensing decisions at the Federal Communications Commission that continue to enable U.S. dominance in the commercial space industry. — 688 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise l Defend U.S. interests in international bodies. Strong representation at the International Telecommunication Union should protect the interests of both private and government users of spectrum. The U.S. has differing needs from many other countries, for instance, because of U.S. government satellites and commercial space industry. NTIA should work with the U.S. delegation to ensure maximum adoption of the U.S. position. l Set fresh priorities in broadband grant programs. Reevaluate broadband grant programs and, when possible, establish Administration priorities in how each grant is structured. First and foremost, widespread deployment of infrastructure is needed for 5G adoption in rural and exurban areas, which will be a key factor in future economic competitiveness for these under-served communities. l Review FirstNet. Evaluate the performance and long-term value proposition of FirstNet in view of modern technologies that will render it obsolete. CONCLUSION The above policies, strategies, and tactics will set a new Administration on firm footing that allows the Department of Commerce to assist the President in implementing a bold agenda that delivers economic prosperity and strong national security to the American people. While many of the department’s functions fall outside the remit of the federal government, its unique authorities in diverse areas provide critical tools that can and should be brought to bear in implementing a conservative governing philosophy that keeps Americans safe and provides oppor- tunity for all. AUTHOR’S NOTE: This chapter includes invaluable input from over a dozen alumni of the Department of Commerce and numerous other members of the 2025 Presidential Transition Project. All contributors to this chapter are listed at the front of this volume, but James Rockas, Nazak Nikakhtar, Louis Heinzer, Robert Burkett, Iain Murray, Michael Gonzalez, David Legates, and Kristen Eichamer deserve special recognition. The author alone assumes responsibility for the content of this chapter, and no views expressed herein should be attributed to any other individual.

Department of Transportation

Moderate
Vector: 65%
Pages: 658-660AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill's focus on emergency communication and tracking technologies aligns with Project 2025's emphasis on transportation safety and spectrum allocation for intelligent transportation systems (ITS), though the bill centers on NTIA/ITS rather than DOT-led initiatives. Both share goals of improving safety through technology and addressing spectrum needs for transportation-related communications."

Key themes:emergency communication technologiesspectrum allocation for transportation safetyintelligent transportation systems (ITS)technology testing and standardizationtransportation safety innovation

— 625 — Department of Transportation security, and privacy without hampering innovation. DOT can oversee the testing and deployment of a wide variety of new technologies, allowing communities and individuals to choose what best fits their needs. It is the role of the private sector, not the government, to pick winners and losers in technology development. If a technology underperforms, the private sector should be liable, not the government. The department should ensure a tech-neutral approach to addressing any emerging transportation technology while keeping safety as the number one priority. As part of this, it should work to facilitate the safe and full integration of automated vehicles into the national transportation system. Over time, these advanced technologies can save lives, transform personal mobility, and provide additional transportation opportunities—including for people with disabili- ties, aging populations, and communities where car ownership is expensive or impractical. NHTSA’s and FMCSA’s current regulations were written before the advent of automated vehicles and driving systems. Both operating administrations have issued Advance Notices of Proposed Rulemakings (ANPRMs) that begin the pro- cess of updating their regulations to reflect this new technology. However, these regulations have stalled under the Biden Administration, which has chosen to use the department’s tools to get people to take transit and drive electric vehicles instead of helping people to choose the transportation options that suit them best. l NHTSA should work to remove regulatory barriers by focusing on updating vehicle standards as well as publishing performance-based rules for the operations of automated vehicles (AVs). l FMCSA should work to clarify the regulations to align with DOT’s AV 3.0 guidance, which would allow the drivers to be safely removed from the operations of a commercial motor vehicle. From a nonregulatory point of view, DOT has pivoted from a successful focus on the voluntary sharing of data to improve safety outcomes to adoption of a more compulsory and antagonistic approach to mandating data collection and publica- tion through a Standing General Order related to automated vehicles. This needs to be reversed. Many of these new and innovative technologies rely on wireless communica- tions that depend on the availability and purchase of radio frequency spectrum, a trend that is consistent with what we see in connectivity in our everyday lives. There is a role for DOT in ensuring that in the fight over spectrum, transportation gets its fair share. For technologies to work in transportation, and in particular to work for transportation safety, they have to meet the unique needs of a transportation — 626 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise environment. They need to account for rapidly moving and out-of-line-of-sight vehicles as well as pedestrians, bicyclists, and other road users. They should account for the potential for radio interference, and they should address security. This is why in 1999, in response to a request from Congress, the Federal Com- munications Commission allocated the 5.9 GHz band of spectrum to traffic safety and intelligent transportation systems (ITS). In 2020, the FCC took away 45 MHz of the 75 MHz it had added, leaving only 30 MHz for transportation safety and ITS. DOT needs to represent the transportation community and make the case for needed spectrum to the public and Congress. CORPORATE AVERAGE FUEL ECONOMY (CAFE) STANDARDS One reason for the high numbers of injuries on American roadways is that national fuel economy standards raise the price of cars, disincentivizing people from purchasing newer, safer vehicles. Congress requires the Secretary of Transportation to set national fuel econ- omy standards for new motor vehicles sold in the United States. This mandate was established in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA),6 a law passed in the wake of the Arab oil embargo to promote greater energy efficiency and lessen the national security threat of U.S. dependence on foreign oil. The stat- ute directs DOT to prescribe the “maximum feasible” mileage requirements for different categories of internal-combustion engine (ICE) automobiles for each model year. The standards must be achievable using available ICE technologies running on gasoline, diesel fuel, or similar combustible fuels and must not be set so high as to prevent automakers from profitably producing new vehicles at sufficient volume to meet consumer demand. Congress recognized that the ICE-powered automobile has been instrumen- tal to advancing the mobility and prosperity of the American people and that the domestic mass production of new ICE vehicles generates millions of jobs and remains critical to the overall health of the U.S. economy and the strength of the nation’s industrial base. Accordingly, Congress took care to ensure that the mileage requirements issued by DOT would not undermine the vitality of America’s auto industry or interfere with the market economics that drives consumer demand for new vehicles. This rulemaking authority, which has been delegated by the Secretary to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, is exclusive to DOT. EPCA expressly preempts states from adopting or enforcing any different requirement “related to fuel economy standards” for new motor vehicles. While the statute instructs DOT to consult with the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in formulating its standards, no other federal agency, including EPA, has clear authority to set fuel economy requirements in place of NHTSA. The Clean Air Act7 gives EPA general authority to establish emissions

Showing 3 of 5 policy matches

About These Correlations

Policy matches are calculated using a hybrid approach: initial candidates are found using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text, then an AI model (Llama 3.1 70B) provides detailed alignment ratings and analysis. Ratings range from 1 (minimal alignment) to 5 (very strong alignment). This analysis does not imply direct causation or intent.

Full Policy Text

Related Bills