[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 842 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 842

         To improve the mapping of wireless broadband coverage.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 14, 2019

 Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Manchin, and Mr. Hoeven) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
           Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
         To improve the mapping of wireless broadband coverage.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Broadband Mapping Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Communications Commission; and
            (2) the term ``coverage'' means wireless broadband 
        coverage.

SEC. 3. VERIFICATION OF WIRELESS BROADBAND COVERAGE DATA.

    (a) Rulemaking.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Commission shall initiate a rulemaking to establish a 
process to use coverage data reported by consumers and State, local, 
and Tribal government entities to verify coverage data reported by 
wireless carriers.
    (b) Consumer Data.--The Commission shall consider including in the 
process established under subsection (a) a mechanism to incorporate 
coverage data obtained from consumers through--
            (1) the FCC Speed Test mobile application, including any 
        successor to that application; and
            (2) any application through which consumers report coverage 
        data.
    (c) State, Local, and Tribal Data.--The Commission shall consider 
including in the process established under subsection (a) a mechanism 
for the Commission to incorporate coverage data obtained from State, 
local, or Tribal government entities that are primarily responsible for 
mapping or tracking coverage for a State, unit of local government, or 
Indian Tribe, as applicable.

SEC. 4. EVIDENTIARY PROCESS FOR FIXED AND MOBILE BROADBAND SERVICES.

    In addition to the consumer input contemplated under section 3 with 
respect to mobile wireless coverage data, the Commission shall consider 
other measures, including, but not limited to, an evidence-based 
challenge process, to help in verifying coverage data reported by 
providers of both fixed and mobile broadband services.
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