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Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019

Public Law 116-124 · H.R. 4998 · 116th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Mar 12, 2020 · Science, Technology, Communications

Sponsor: Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ-6)

Cosponsors (3): Rep. Greg Walden,

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateVoice vote
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019

This bill establishes (1) a mechanism to prevent communications equipment or services that pose a national security risk from entering U.S. networks, and (2) a program to remove any such equipment or services currently used in U.S. networks.

Specifically, the bill prohibits the use of certain federal funds to obtain communications equipment or services from a company that poses a national security risk to U.S. communications networks. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must publish and maintain a list of such equipment or services.

Each communications provider must submit an annual report to the FCC regarding whether it has purchased, rented, leased, or otherwise obtained any prohibited equipment and, if so, provide a detailed justification for such action.

The bill also establishes the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program to supply small communications providers (i.e., providers with 2 million or fewer customers) with funds to offset the cost of removing prohibited equipment or services from their networks and replacing it with more secure communications equipment or services.

In addition, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration must establish a program to share information regarding supply chain security risks with trusted communications providers and suppliers.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

3 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • H.R. 4459Text similarities

    Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019

  • H.R. 4461Related bill

    Network Security Information Sharing Act of 2019

  • H.R. 4973Related bill

    Trusting Commercial Communications Networks Act of 2019

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.

  1. Mar 12, 2020Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 116-124.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Mar 3, 2020FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Feb 27, 2020FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  5. FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
  6. Dec 17, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate, read twice.
  7. Dec 16, 2019FloorFloor · The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
  8. FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  9. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  10. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4998.
  11. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  12. FloorFloor · Mr. Doyle, Michael F. moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  13. CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 281.
  14. CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 116-352.
  15. Nov 20, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  16. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  17. Nov 14, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .
  18. CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  19. Nov 12, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
  20. Nov 8, 2019CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
  21. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

No amendments to this bill are on record.

Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.