Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Developing Innovation and Growing the Internet of Things Act” or “DIGIT Act”.
Developing Innovation and Growing the Internet of Things Act
A BILL
To ensure appropriate spectrum planning and interagency coordination to support the Internet of Things.
Sec. 2 Findings; sense of Congress
Findings— Congress finds that—
the Internet of Things refers to the growing number of connected and interconnected devices;
estimates indicate that more than 50,000,000,000 devices will be connected by the year 2020;
the Internet of Things has the potential to generate trillions of dollars in economic opportunity;
businesses across the country can simplify logistics, cut costs, and pass savings on to consumers by utilizing the Internet of Things and related innovations derived from it;
the United States leads the world in the development of technologies that support the Internet, and the United States technology sector is well positioned to lead in the development of technologies for the Internet of Things;
the United States Government can implement this technology to better deliver services to the public; and
the Senate unanimously passed Senate Resolution 110, 114th Congress, agreed to March 24, 2015, a resolution calling for a national strategy for the development of the Internet of Things.
Sense of Congress— It is the sense of Congress that policies governing the Internet of Things should aim to maximize the potential and development of the Internet of Things to the benefit of stakeholders including businesses, governments, and consumers.
Sec. 3 Strategic planning for the Internet of Things
Definitions— In this section—
the term appropriate committees of Congress means—
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate; and
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives;
the term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission;
the term Secretary means the Secretary of Commerce; and
the term working group means the working group convened under subsection (b)(1).
Working group—
In general— The Secretary shall convene a working group of Federal stakeholders to provide recommendations to Congress on how to appropriately plan for and encourage the proliferation of the Internet of Things in the United States.
Duties— The working group shall examine the following aspects of the Internet of Things:
Current and future spectrum needs.
The regulatory environment, including identification of sector-specific regulations, Federal grant practices, and budgetary or jurisdictional challenges.
Consumer protection.
Privacy and security.
The current use of the technology by Federal agencies and their preparedness to adopt it in the future.
Agency representatives— In convening the working group under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall have discretion to appoint representatives and shall specifically consider seeking representation from—
the Department of Transportation;
the Federal Communications Commission;
the Federal Trade Commission;
the National Science Foundation;
the Department of Commerce, including—
the National Telecommunications and Information Administration;
the National Institute of Standards and Technology; and
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and
the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Nongovernmental stakeholders— The working group shall consult with nongovernmental stakeholders, including—
key industry sectoral stakeholders and subject matter experts;
information and communications technology manufacturers, suppliers, and vendors;
small, medium, and large businesses;
consumer groups; and
other stakeholders with relevant expertise, as determined by the Secretary.
Recommendations to Congress— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the working group shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the findings and recommendations of the working group under this subsection.
Assessing spectrum needs To support the Internet of Things—
In general— The Commission, in consultation with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, shall conduct a study to evaluate the current and future spectrum needs of the Internet of Things.
Requirements— In conducting the study under paragraph (1), the Commission shall consider and evaluate—
whether there is adequate licensed and unlicensed spectrum availability to support the growing Internet of Things;
what regulatory barriers may exist to providing any needed licensed and unlicensed spectrum for the Internet of Things; and
what the role of licensed and unlicensed spectrum is in the growth of the Internet of Things.
Report— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report containing recommendations relating to the study conducted under paragraph (1).