A bipartisan group of House lawmakers on Tuesday introduced legislation that seeks to protect the U.S. telecommunication supply chain from foreign interference.
The Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act would prohibit any organization from using federal funds to procure communications products or services that might pose a national security threat to domestic networks, the House Energy and Commerce Committee said Tuesday.
The bill also calls for the Federal Communications Commission to create a reimbursement program meant to help smaller communications firms remove and replace banned equipment or services from networks.
Reps. Frank Pallone, D-N.J.; Doris Matsui, D-Calif.; Greg Walden, R-Ore.; and Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., are the bill’s sponsors.
“Our telecommunications companies rely heavily on equipment manufactured and provided by foreign companies that, in some cases, as with companies such as Huawei and its affiliates, can pose a significant threat to America’s commercial and security interests,†the four lawmakers said in a joint statement.
The panel’s communications and technology subcommittee is scheduled Friday to discuss the bill at a meeting about supply chain security and spectrum matters.