HR 1717 Re-checks Congress.gov for new actions and updates the bill's status, and fills in any sponsors, committees, or related bills that are missing. It does not re-pull sponsors/cosponsors/committees/related — those rarely change — and it skips all work if nothing has changed upstream, so it's cheap to click.
Summary
This bill directs the Federal Communications Commission to establish a council or designate an existing advisory committee to advise on security, reliability, and interoperability of communications networks within 90 days of enactment. The council's membership shall include representatives from communications companies, public interest organizations or academic institutions, and federal, state, local, and tribal governments, excluding any entities the FCC Chair determines to be untrustworthy due to foreign influence or national security concerns. The council shall submit reports every two years containing recommendations on improving communications network security, reliability, and interoperability, which the FCC shall make publicly available. The council is exempt from federal advisory committee termination requirements.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
1 cosponsor
- Rep. Joyce, John [R-PA-13] (R-PA)
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Robert Menendez’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Robert Menendez → · Outside spending →
Actions (15)
- Jul 16, 2025 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. · senate
- Jul 15, 2025 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. · house
- Jul 15, 2025 On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 380 - 33 (Roll no. 196). (text: 7/14/2025 CR 3218-3219) · house
- Jul 15, 2025 Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 380 - 33 (Roll no. 196).
- Jul 15, 2025 Considered as unfinished business. · house
- Jul 14, 2025 At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed. · house
- Jul 14, 2025 DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1717. · house
- Jul 14, 2025 Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3218-3220) · house
- Jul 14, 2025 Mr. Latta moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. · house
- Jul 10, 2025 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 158. · house
- Jul 10, 2025 Reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce. H. Rept. 119-194. · house
- Apr 8, 2025 Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 50 - 1. · house
- Apr 8, 2025 Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held · house
- Feb 27, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. · house
- Feb 27, 2025 Introduced in House
How your representatives voted
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Roll-call votes (1)
How the chamber voted on this bill — the outcome, the tally by party, and every member's recorded position. A factual record.
- On Motion to Suspend the Rules and PassPassed
380 Yea · 33 Nay · 19 Not voting
- Republicans29Yea5Nay3NV
- Democrats28Yea0Nay
The party tally and member list below cover the 65 of 432 positions we've recorded so far; the outcome above is the official chamber result.
See how each member voted (65)
Yea(57)
- Al Green
- August Pfluger
- Becca Balint
- Beth Van Duyne
- Bonnie Watson Coleman
- Brandon Gill
- Brendan F. Boyle
- Brian Babin
- Brian K. Fitzpatrick
- Chrissy Houlahan
- Christopher H. Smith
- Christopher R. Deluzio
- Craig A. Goldman
- Dan Crenshaw
- Daniel Meuser
- Donald Norcross
- Dwight Evans
- Frank Pallone
- Glenn Thompson
- Greg Casar
- Guy Reschenthaler
- Henry Cuellar
- Herbert C. Conaway
- Jake Ellzey
- Jasmine Crockett
- Jefferson Van Drew
- Joaquin Castro
- Jodey C. Arrington
- John Joyce
- John R. Carter
- Josh Gottheimer
- Julie Johnson
- Lamonica Mciver
- Lizzie Fletcher
- Lloyd Doggett
- Lloyd Smucker
- Madeleine Dean
- Marc A. Veasey
- Mary Gay Scanlon
- Mike Kelly
- Monica De La Cruz
- Nathaniel Moran
- Nellie Pou
- Pat Fallon
- Pete Sessions
- Randy K. Sr. Weber
- Robert Menendez
- Robert P. Bresnahan
- Roger Williams
- Ronny Jackson
- Ryan Mackenzie
- Summer L. Lee
- Sylvia R. Garcia
- Thomas H. Kean
- Troy E. Nehls
- Veronica Escobar
- Vicente Gonzalez
Not voting(3)
More bills on these subjects (8)
Other bills that carry the most legislative subjects in common with this one (topical discovery — distinct from the procedural related bills above).
Text versions (4)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
AN ACT
To direct the Federal Communications Commission to establish a council to make recommendations on ways to increase the security, reliability, and interoperability of communications networks, and for other purposes.
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 “Communications Security Act”.
SEC. 2. COUNCIL ON COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY, RELIABILITY, AND INTEROPERABILITY.
(a) Establishment.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall—
(1) establish a council to advise the Commission on issues including the security, reliability, and interoperability of communications networks; or
(2) designate for purposes of this section an advisory committee of the Commission that is operating on the date of the enactment of this Act under a charter for the purpose of addressing the issues described in paragraph (1) and, if the membership of such committee does not comply with subsection
(b), modify such membership to comply with such subsection.
(b) Membership.—
(1) Appointment.—The members of the council shall be appointed by the Chair.
(2) Composition.—To the extent practicable, the membership of the council shall be composed of the following:
(A) Representatives of companies in the communications industry, except companies that are determined by the Chair to be not trusted.
(B) Representatives of public interest organizations or academic institutions, except public interest organizations or academic institutions that are determined by the Chair to be not trusted.
(C) Representatives of the Federal Government, State governments, local governments, or Tribal Governments, with at least one member representing each such type of government.
(3) Knowledge and experience.—Each member of the council shall have knowledge and experience relevant to the purpose and goals of the council.
(4) Terms.—
(A) In general.—Each member of the council shall be appointed for a term of 2 years, except as provided in subparagraph (B).
(B) Vacancies.—Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for which the member’s predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of that term. A member may serve after the expiration of that member’s term until a successor has taken office.
(c) Reports.—
(1) In general.—Not later than 2 years after the date on which the council is established or designated (as the case may be) under subsection (a), and every 2 years thereafter, the council shall submit to the Chair each report adopted by the council during the preceding 2-year period, and any report adopted by any working group of the council during such period, including any such report of the council or a working group containing recommendations on ways to increase the security, reliability, and interoperability of communications networks, and on other relevant issues as appropriate.
(2) Availability on commission website.—The Commission shall make each report submitted under paragraph (1) publicly available on the website of the Commission.
(d) Duration.—Section 1013(a)(2) of title 5, United States Code (relating to the termination of advisory committees) shall not apply to the council.
(e) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) Chair.—The term “Chair” means the Chair of the Commission.
(2) Commission.—The term “Commission” means the Federal Communications Commission.
(3) Council.—The term “council” means the council established under subsection (a)(1) or the advisory committee designated under subsection (a)(2), as the case may be.
(4) Not trusted.—
(A) In general.—The term “not trusted” means, with respect to an entity, that—
(i) the Chair has made a public determination that such entity is owned by, controlled by, or subject to the influence of a foreign adversary; or
(ii) the Chair otherwise determines that such entity poses a threat to the national security of the United States.
(B) Criteria for determination.—In making a determination under subparagraph (A)(ii), the Chair shall use the criteria described in paragraphs (1) through (4) of section 2(c) of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 (47 U.S.C. 1601(c)), as appropriate.
(5) State.—The term “State” has the meaning given such term in section 3 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C.
153).
Passed the House of Representatives July 15, 2025.
Attest:
Clerk. 119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1717
AN ACT
To direct the Federal Communications Commission to establish a council to make recommendations on ways to increase the security, reliability, and interoperability of communications networks, and for other purposes.
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