Snowe, Kaufman Announce Bill to Bolster Technical Resources & Expertise at FCC

Press Release

U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) and Ted Kaufman (D-Del.) today announced bipartisan legislation to strengthen technical resources and expertise at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The Snowe-Kaufman initiative would require the National Academy of Sciences to launch a study and examine the technical policy decision-making process and the availability of technical personnel at the FCC.

"With the rapid advancement of technologies and innovation within the telecommunications industry, the FCC must be better equipped and more agile to address the ever-changing technical landscape from a regulatory perspective," said Senator Snowe, a senior member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, which has jurisdiction over the issue. "This legislation takes a step towards ensuring the Commission has the adequate resources, which is essential in guaranteeing our nation's technical leadership remains on the cutting edge of 21st century technology and ensuring we will successfully meet our nation's future needs."

"It is critical that we include engineers in our nation's technical policy and decision making, at the FCC and across the government," said Senator Kaufman. "Professionals in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics have always been our nation's problem solvers. I am pleased that this study will explore the implications and offer recommendations for addressing the decline of engineers in this important agency."

Over the past several years, concerns have been raised by the technical community and FCC Commissioners regarding the lack of technical resources and expertise at the Commission. In 1948, the FCC had 720 engineers on staff; today, it has fewer than 300--an astonishing 62% reduction--even though the FCC now must face technical issues concerning the Internet, wireless communications, and broadband. Under the legislation, the National Academy of Sciences study would include an examination of the FCC's technical policy decision-making, current technical personnel staffing levels, and agency recruiting and hiring processes of technical staff and engineers, and make concrete recommendations to improve these areas. The study would include proposals to streamline processes and rulemakings as well as how the FCC can be more competitive in hiring the required technical personnel to make it more effective. The bill authorizes $1 million over a two-year period to conduct this thorough technical study.

Source