Committee OKs ITS Codification Act after security concerns are aired and withdrawn
Summary
The committee favorably reported the ITS Codification Act after members debated DoD national‑security concerns; Senator Fisher offered and then withdrew an amendment, and supporters said codifying ITS would preserve spectrum research and emergency‑communications work.
Ranking Member Cantwell moved that S.4950, the ITS Codification Act, as amended by substitutes, be favorably reported. Senator Fisher raised national‑security concerns about codifying the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS), arguing the bill as drafted could elevate ITS over other federal research entities and weaken coordination with Department of Defense spectrum labs. Fisher offered amendment Fisher‑1 to address those concerns and later withdrew it after consultation.
Senator Duckworth and other supporters said the codification is intended to recognize an existing laboratory and to preserve ITS’s capacity to advance spectrum research and emergency communications—including technologies used to locate people trapped in confined spaces. Duckworth noted the bill had passed the House by voice vote and that ITS research supports both commercial and DOD applications.
The motion was agreed to and the bill ordered to be reported favorably. Senators asked for their votes to be recorded where noted.
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