HR 2482 Passed in House – NTIA Authorization

This afternoon the House took up  HR 2482, the NTIA Reauthorization Act of 2025, under the suspension of the rules process. After 14 minutes of debate, the House passed the bill by a voice vote. The bill now moves to the Senate.

Last session a similar bill, HR 4510, also passed in the House, but no action was taken on the bill when it reached the Senate. A number of provisions from HR 4510 were not found in HR 2482, so maybe there will be an increased chance of it being considered in Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. As is typical for so many bills introduced, this bill is not politically important enough to take up the time needed for the Senate to consider the bill under the regular order process.

While the whole point of a program authorization bill is for the committee responsible for the oversight of the program to provide direction to the executive agency as to how the program should be carried out, it is often easier to include these relatively small program authorizations in spending bills as the bills are more likely (or at least used to be more likely) to be favorably considered in both bodies.

HR 2482 Reported in House – NTIA Reauthorization

Earlier this month the House Energy and Commerce Committee took up HR 2482, the NTIA Reauthorization Act of 2025, in a business meeting that considered 26 bills. They adopted the bill without amendment. The Committee’s report (H Rept 119-63) was published (the GPO does not yet have a copy printed) on Friday along with the reported version of the bill. HR 2482 is scheduled to be considered by the full House on Monday under the suspension of the rules process.

This bill is the latest attempt to reauthorization process for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The bill would authorize $57 million in spending (down from $62 million in last year’s bill) for NTIA for FY 2025 and FY 2026. There are no cybersecurity provisions included in this year's version of the bill.

HR 2482 Introduced – NTIA Reauthorization

Last month Rep Latta (R,OH) introduced HR 2482, the NTIA Reauthorization Act of 2025. This bill is the latest attempt to reauthorization process for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The bill would authorize $57 million in spending (down from $62 million in last year’s bill) for NTIA for FY 2025 and FY 2026. The House Energy and Commerce Committee considered the bill in a business meeting (along with 23 other bills) and approved the bill by a voice vote without amendments.

Last session Latta also introduced an NTIA reauthorization bill, HR 4510. That bill was considered in a business meeting of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and adopted the bill by a vote of 48 to 0. The Committee Report was published on October 25^th, 2023. The full House took up HR 4510 on May 14^th, 2024 and passed the legislation by a vote of 374 to 36. No action was taken on this legislation in Senate the 118^th Congress.

HR 2482 is very different from last session’s bill. Whole titles are missing, and titles that are included are missing a substantial number of sections. Of importance here, Title IV that would have established within NTIA an Office of Policy Development and Cybersecurity has not been included in this bill. This means that there are no cybersecurity provisions within the current legislation.

Review - Bills Introduced – 3-31-25 (House)

Yesterday, with both the House and Senate in session (and the Senate still in session as of the writing of this post with the Democrats holding the floor in an old-style filibuster protesting recent actions by the Trump Administration), there were 67 bills introduced (Senate bills will be discussed in a separate post when they are posted). Three of those bills may receive additional coverage in this blog:

HR 2482 NTIA Reauthorization Act of 2025  Latta, Robert E. [Rep.-R-OH-5] 

HR 2508 To preempt State data security vulnerability mandates and decryption requirements. Lieu, Ted [Rep.-D-CA-36]

HR 2515 To provide for a grant program for adoption of certain telematics systems onboard freight railcars, and for other purposes. Nehls, Troy E. [Rep.-R-TX-22]

 

For more information on these bills, including legislative history for similar bills in the 118th, as well as a mention in passing of a marine liability bill, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/bills-introduced-3-31-25-house - subscription required.