PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Mar 3, 2011
Spectrum Inventory and Auction Act of 2011 - Amends the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act to require the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information at the Department of Commerce and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to: (1) inventory, at least semiannually, each broadband radio spectrum band of frequencies listed in the U.S. Table of Frequency Allocations, including the identity of each federal or non-federal user within each radio service authorized to operate in each band of frequencies, the activities and capabilities (whether space-, air-, or ground-based) supported by transmitters and other radio frequency devices, the total amount of spectrum and geographic coverage areas assigned or licensed to each user, and other specified information; and (2) make the inventory available to the public on an Internet website.
Directs the Assistant Secretary and the FCC to submit to Congress a biennial report containing a recommendation of which bands of inventoried frequencies, if any, should be reallocated or made available for shared access.
Sets forth exceptions for federal agencies to withhold certain national security information.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to provide that, if the FCC determines that it is consistent with the public interest in spectrum utilization (after a report of the initial inventory is submitted to Congress and made available on the Internet) for a licensee to voluntarily relinquish licensed spectrum usage rights to permit the assignment of new initial licenses or the allocation of spectrum for unlicensed use subject to new service rules, the proceeds from granting such rights to another licensee under an appropriate competitive bidding system must be shared, in a more than de minimis amount that the FCC considers appropriate, with the licensee who voluntarily relinquished such rights.
Directs the FCC to establish rules for such voluntary incentive auction revenue sharing.
Prohibits the FCC from reclaiming frequencies of any licensees on an involuntary basis for certain licensing purposes.
Extends the FCC's authority to grant a license or permit under the applicable competitive bidding provisions to September 30, 2020.
People & committees
Rep. Barrow, John [D-GA-12] · D–GA
Legislative record
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Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 14, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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