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S. 253, Federal Communications Commission Consolidated Reporting Act of 2015 1 (March 4, 2015)

handle is hein.congrec/cbo2095 and id is 1 raw text is: 



                  CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE

0                            COST ESTIMATE
                                                                    March 4, 2015


                                     S. 253
            Federal Communications Commission Consolidated
                             Reporting Act of 2015

         As ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science,
                      and Transportation on February 26, 2015


S. 253 would require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to prepare a
biennial report for the Congress that assesses certain characteristics of the communications
industry. The report would analyze the state of competition in the markets for voice, video,
and data services, as well as the availability of high-speed and high-quality
telecommunications services. Further, the bill would require the FCC to determine whether
laws and regulations pose a barrier to entry into communications markets and to include
that information in the biennial report. If the FCC fails to meet the reporting deadline as
provided in the bill, the agency would be required to notify the Congress of the delay and
provide the completion date for the report.

S. 253 also would relieve the FCC of requirements to prepare certain other reports for the
Congress on topics ranging from access to satellite services to prices for cable services. In
all, the bill would eliminate more than 20 reports and notices, including some that remain
in current law even though deadlines for their completion have passed.

Based on information from the FCC, CBO estimates that implementing the provisions of
S. 253 would not have a significant effect on the agency's costs. Any additional expenses
the FCC would incur to prepare the new assessment of the communications industry would
be offset by a reduction in costs that would otherwise be incurred for preparing the reports
that would be eliminated under the bill. Moreover, under current law, the FCC is
authorized to collect fees sufficient to offset the cost of its regulatory activities each year.
Therefore, CBO estimates that the net cost to implement the provisions of S. 253 would be
negligible, assuming annual appropriation actions consistent with the agency's authorities.
Enacting S. 253 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go
procedures do not apply.

S. 253 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal
governments.

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