Skip to content
PoliticalRepoPoliticalRepo

United States · Bill · S

S. 421 (114th)

Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2015

openUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

10 February 2015

Last action

20 December 2016 · Committee

Status

By Senator Thune from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report under authority of the order of the Senate of 12/10/2016. Report No. 114-425. Minority views filed.

Sponsors

Sen. Heller, Dean [R-NV], Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT]

Subjects

Healthcare, Environment, Budget

Source updated

7 April 2025

Healthcare · Environment · Budget

Official sourceDownload fileView documentsShare

Summary

Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2015 Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish procedural rules concerning: (1) public notices for rulemakings, petitions, and applications; (2) minimum periods for comments and replies; (3) FCC Commissioners' deliberations; and (4) the FCC reports, decisions, budgets, and other agency documents to be made publicly available in the Federal Register or on the FCC's website. Requires the specific language of proposed rules or amendments to be: (1) included in proposed rulemaking notices, and (2) published for at least 21 days before a vote. Directs the FCC to adopt rules requiring: (1) performance measures to be included in new rulemaking notices that create or propose, or notices regarding substantial change to, a program activity listed in the program and financing schedules of the U.S. annual budget, including any annual collections or distributions of $100 million or more; and (2) a cost-benefit justification to be included in notices concerning rules that may have an effect on the economy of at least $100 million annually or a material adverse effect on the economy, a sector of the economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public health or safety, or state, local, or tribal governments or communities. Directs the FCC to establish procedures authorizing a Commissioner to require the entire Commission to vote on whether to review a particular FCC office's actions. Directs the FCC to seek public comment regarding whether the FCC should: (1) establish deadlines for the disposition of certain license applications; (2) assess fees from applicants to enhance the FCC's resources to meet those deadlines; and (3) publish orders, decisions, reports, and actions within 30 days after adoption. Requires the FCC to initiate a new rulemaking proceeding every five years to continue its consideration of procedural rule changes. Authorizes a bipartisan majority of Commissioners to hold a nonpublic meeting under specified conditions. Prohibits the FCC, in its quarterly report regarding informal consumer inquiries and complaints, from categorizing inquiries or complaints under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (places restrictions on telephone solicitations and automatic dialing systems) as wireline or wireless inquiries or complaints unless a wireline or wireless carrier was the subject of the inquiry or complaint.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

  1. 10 February 2015

    Introduced

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

    Source: IntroReferral

  2. 10 February 2015

    Introduced

    Introduced in Senate

    Source: IntroReferral

  3. 27 April 2016

    Reported

    Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

    Source: Committee

  4. 6 December 2016

    Calendars

    Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 699.

    Source: Calendars

  5. 6 December 2016

    Reported

    Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.

    Source: Committee

  6. 6 December 2016

    Reported

    Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.

    Source: Committee

  7. 20 December 2016

    Floor

    By Senator Thune from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report under authority of the order of the Senate of 12/10/2016. Report No. 114-425. Minority views filed.

    Source: Floor

  8. 20 December 2016

    Committee

    By Senator Thune from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report under authority of the order of the Senate of 12/10/2016. Report No. 114-425. Minority views filed.

    Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

Documents

6 official files

Reported to Senate (text)

View fileDownload file

This file cannot be previewed here. Use View or Download.

Leesvertaling

Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Reported to Senate (text)

    Reported to Senate · EN · 6 December 2016

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

  • Reported to Senate (PDF)

    Reported to Senate · EN · 6 December 2016

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Reported to Senate with amendment(s)

    summary · EN · 6 December 2016

    Open at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Introduced in Senate (text)

    Introduced in Senate · EN · 10 February 2015

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Introduced in Senate (PDF)

    Introduced in Senate · EN · 10 February 2015

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Introduced in Senate

    summary · EN · 10 February 2015

    Open at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

Sponsors

Related records

Sources

PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.