Both sides have signed this (Bill Ranking)
S. 259 · 119th Congress (2025-2026)
4 members · Left 2 · Center 0 · Right 2 (Bill Ranking)
| Sponsor | Sen. Fischer, Deb (R-NE) (Introduced 01/27/2025) |
|---|---|
| Sponsor Voting Record | Lean right · DW-NOMINATE +0.46 · measured from every roll-call vote this member has cast (voteview.com) (Sponsor Ranking) |
| Support |
LLLCLRR support across the spectrum: 4 members signed on (Bill Ranking) this bill: sponsor + current cosponsors, each once |
| Committees | Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee; Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee; Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee |
| Latest Action | 10/24/2025 Held at the desk. |
| Roll Call Votes | There have been no roll call votes |
| Source | view on congress.gov → |
Introduced in Senate (01/27/2025)
Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to annually publish a list of entities that hold a license or other authorization granted by the FCC and have ties to specified foreign countries.
With respect to entities holding cable landing licenses (for the placement and operation of submarine communications cables) or other licenses granted via competitive auction, the FCC must publish a list of all such entities (1) in which a covered entity holds a specified voting or equity interest, or (2) that have been determined by a national security agency to be subject to the control of a covered entity.
With respect to entities holding all other categories of FCC licenses or other authorizations, the FCC must first issue rules facilitating the collection of information on such licensees’ ownership structure. After that information is obtained, the FCC must add to the published list any such entity in which a covered entity holds a specified voting or equity interest.
Under the bill, a covered entity is defined as an entity organized in China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia; a subsidiary of such an entity; or the government of China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia.
119 S259 ES: Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act U.S. Senate text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. 119th CONGRESS1st SessionS. 259IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESAN ACTTo direct the Federal Communications Commission to publish a list of entities that hold authorizations, licenses, or other grants of authority issued by the Commission and that have certain foreign ownership, and for other purposes.1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act.2.List of entities holding FCC authorizations, licenses, or other grants of authority and having certain foreign ownership(a)DefinitionsIn this section:(1)Appropriate national security agencyThe term appropriate national security agency has the meaning given such term in section 9 of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 (47 U.S.C. 1608). (2)CommissionThe term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission.(3)Covered countryThe term covered country means a country specified in section 4872(f)(2) of title 10, United States Code.(4)Covered entityThe term covered entity means—(A)the government of a covered country;(B)an entity organized under the laws of a covered country; and(C)a subsidiary of an entity described in subparagraph (B), regardless of whether the subsidiary is organized under the laws of a covered country.(b)Publication of listNot later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall publish on the internet website of the Commission a list of each entity—(1)that holds a license issued by the Commission pursuant to—(A)section 309(j) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 309(j)); or(B)the Act of May 27, 1921 (47 U.S.C. 34 et seq.; commonly known as the Cable Landing Licensing Act) and Executive Order 10530 (3 U.S.C. 301 note; relating to the performance of certain functions vested in or subject to the approval of the President); and(2)with respect to which—(A)a covered entity holds an equity or voting interest that is required to be reported to the Commission under the ownership rules of the Commission; or(B)an appropriate national security agency has determined that a covered entity exerts control, regardless of whether such covered entity holds an equity or voting interest as described in subparagraph (A).(c)Rulemaking(1)In generalNot later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall issue rules to obtain information to identify each entity—(A)that holds any authorization, license, or other grant of authority issued by the Commission (other than a license described in subsection (b)(1)); and(B)with respect to which a covered entity holds an equity or voting interest that is required to be reported to the Commission under the ownership rules of the Commission.(2)Placement on listNot later than 1 year after the Commission issues the rules required by paragraph (1), the Commission shall place each entity described in such paragraph on the list published under subsection (b).(d)Paperwork Reduction Act exemptionA collection of information conducted or sponsored by the Commission to implement this section does not constitute a collection of information for the purposes of subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Paperwork Reduction Act).(e)Annual updatesThe Commission shall, not less frequently than annually, update the list published under subsection (b), including with respect to any entity required to be placed on such list by subsection (c)(2).Passed the Senate October 23, 2025.Secretary
119 S259 IS: Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act U.S. Senate 2025-01-27 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. II119th CONGRESS1st SessionS. 259IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESJanuary 27, 2025Mrs. Fischer (for herself, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Cornyn, and Mr. Luján) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and TransportationA BILLTo direct the Federal Communications Commission to publish a list of entities that hold authorizations, licenses, or other grants of authority issued by the Commission and that have certain foreign ownership, and for other purposes.1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act.2.List of entities holding FCC authorizations, licenses, or other grants of authority and having certain foreign ownership(a)DefinitionsIn this section:(1)Appropriate national security agencyThe term appropriate national security agency has the meaning given such term in section 9 of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 (47 U.S.C. 1608). (2)CommissionThe term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission.(3)Covered countryThe term covered country means a country specified in section 4872(f)(2) of title 10, United States Code.(4)Covered entityThe term covered entity means—(A)the government of a covered country;(B)an entity organized under the laws of a covered country; and(C)a subsidiary of an entity described in subparagraph (B), regardless of whether the subsidiary is organized under the laws of a covered country.(b)Publication of listNot later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall publish on the internet website of the Commission a list of each entity—(1)that holds a license issued by the Commission pursuant to—(A)section 309(j) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 309(j)); or(B)the Act of May 27, 1921 (47 U.S.C. 34 et seq.; commonly known as the Cable Landing Licensing Act) and Executive Order 10530 (3 U.S.C. 301 note; relating to the performance of certain functions vested in or subject to the approval of the President); and(2)with respect to which—(A)a covered entity holds an equity or voting interest that is required to be reported to the Commission under the ownership rules of the Commission; or(B)an appropriate national security agency has determined that a covered entity exerts control, regardless of whether such covered entity holds an equity or voting interest as described in subparagraph (A).(c)Rulemaking(1)In generalNot later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall issue rules to obtain information to identify each entity—(A)that holds any authorization, license, or other grant of authority issued by the Commission (other than a license described in subsection (b)(1)); and(B)with respect to which a covered entity holds an equity or voting interest that is required to be reported to the Commission under the ownership rules of the Commission.(2)Placement on listNot later than 1 year after the Commission issues the rules required by paragraph (1), the Commission shall place each entity described in such paragraph on the list published under subsection (b).(d)Paperwork Reduction Act exemptionA collection of information conducted or sponsored by the Commission to implement this section does not constitute a collection of information for the purposes of subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Paperwork Reduction Act).(e)Annual updatesThe Commission shall, not less frequently than annually, update the list published under subsection (b), including with respect to any entity required to be placed on such list by subsection (c)(2).
119 S259 RS: Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act U.S. Senate 2025-07-07 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. IICalendar No. 110119th CONGRESS1st SessionS. 259[Report No. 119–36]IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESJanuary 27, 2025Mrs. Fischer (for herself, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Cornyn, and Mr. Luján) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and TransportationJuly 9, 2025Reported by Mr. Cruz, without amendmentA BILLTo direct the Federal Communications Commission to publish a list of entities that hold authorizations, licenses, or other grants of authority issued by the Commission and that have certain foreign ownership, and for other purposes.1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act.2.List of entities holding FCC authorizations, licenses, or other grants of authority and having certain foreign ownership(a)DefinitionsIn this section:(1)Appropriate national security agencyThe term appropriate national security agency has the meaning given such term in section 9 of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 (47 U.S.C. 1608). (2)CommissionThe term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission.(3)Covered countryThe term covered country means a country specified in section 4872(f)(2) of title 10, United States Code.(4)Covered entityThe term covered entity means—(A)the government of a covered country;(B)an entity organized under the laws of a covered country; and(C)a subsidiary of an entity described in subparagraph (B), regardless of whether the subsidiary is organized under the laws of a covered country.(b)Publication of listNot later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall publish on the internet website of the Commission a list of each entity—(1)that holds a license issued by the Commission pursuant to—(A)section 309(j) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 309(j)); or(B)the Act of May 27, 1921 (47 U.S.C. 34 et seq.; commonly known as the Cable Landing Licensing Act) and Executive Order 10530 (3 U.S.C. 301 note; relating to the performance of certain functions vested in or subject to the approval of the President); and(2)with respect to which—(A)a covered entity holds an equity or voting interest that is required to be reported to the Commission under the ownership rules of the Commission; or(B)an appropriate national security agency has determined that a covered entity exerts control, regardless of whether such covered entity holds an equity or voting interest as described in subparagraph (A).(c)Rulemaking(1)In generalNot later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall issue rules to obtain information to identify each entity—(A)that holds any authorization, license, or other grant of authority issued by the Commission (other than a license described in subsection (b)(1)); and(B)with respect to which a covered entity holds an equity or voting interest that is required to be reported to the Commission under the ownership rules of the Commission.(2)Placement on listNot later than 1 year after the Commission issues the rules required by paragraph (1), the Commission shall place each entity described in such paragraph on the list published under subsection (b).(d)Paperwork Reduction Act exemptionA collection of information conducted or sponsored by the Commission to implement this section does not constitute a collection of information for the purposes of subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Paperwork Reduction Act).(e)Annual updatesThe Commission shall, not less frequently than annually, update the list published under subsection (b), including with respect to any entity required to be placed on such list by subsection (c)(2).July 9, 2025Reported without amendment
The bill's own words, from our database (synced from the GPO BILLS XML); paragraph breaks added at the bill's section boundaries, nothing else changed.
| Date | Chamber | All Actions |
|---|---|---|
| 01/27/2025 | Library of Congress | Introduced in Senate |
| 01/27/2025 | Senate | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. |
| 04/30/2025 | Senate | Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably. |
| 07/09/2025 | Library of Congress | Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz without amendment. With written report No. 119-36. |
| 07/09/2025 | Senate | Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz without amendment. With written report No. 119-36. |
| 07/09/2025 | Senate | Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 110. |
| 10/23/2025 | Library of Congress | Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. |
| 10/23/2025 | Senate | Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S7734; text: CR S7734) |
| 10/23/2025 | Senate | Message on Senate action sent to the House. |
| 10/24/2025 | House floor actions | Received in the House. |
| 10/24/2025 | House floor actions | Held at the desk. |
| Title Type | Title |
|---|---|
| Display Title | Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act |
| Short Title(s) as Passed Senate | Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act |
| Short Title(s) as Reported to Senate | Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act |
| Short Title(s) as Introduced | Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act |
| Official Title as Introduced | A bill to direct the Federal Communications Commission to publish a list of entities that hold authorizations, licenses, or other grants of authority issued by the Commission and that have certain foreign ownership, and for other purposes. |
There are no amendments to this bill.
* = Original cosponsor
| Committee | Activity |
|---|---|
| Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee | 07/09/2025 Reported By |
| Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee | 04/30/2025 Markup By |
| Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee | 01/27/2025 Referred To |
Policy Area: Science, Technology, Communications
All data on this page comes from our own database (legislation.congress_* tables), synced daily from the GPO govinfo BILLSTATUS and BILLS collections. Formatted after congress.gov; nothing is generated. Member placement is their DW-NOMINATE score (voteview.com, Lewis et al.) - a measurement of roll-call voting behavior, not our judgement. Buckets: Left below −0.50 · Lean Left to −0.25 · Center to +0.25 · Lean Right to +0.50 · Right above +0.50. The bill's Support meter aggregates the people who signed the bill - sponsor and current cosponsors, each counted once - nothing else.