Senate GOP Float Rip and Replace Funding, Chips Act Text in Aid Bill

Combined proposals Senate Republicans released Monday for the next major COVID-19 aid legislative package have few telecom and tech provisions. A proposal from Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., includes $1 billion for the FCC to implement the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act. HR-4998 provides funding to help U.S. communications providers remove Chinese equipment determined to threaten national security (see 2003040056). Shelby’s HR-4998 funding is the same as what the House Appropriations Committee allocated in its FY 2021 FCC funding bill (see 2007080064). The FCC earlier sought $2 billion to implement HR-4998 (see 2003230066). Shelby wants $175 million in emergency funding to CPB for “stabilization grants to maintain programming services and to preserve small and rural public" stations. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., filed the Restoring Critical Supply Chains and Intellectual Property Act with language from the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America Act. HR-7178/S-3933 would allocate funding to match state and local incentives and direct the Commerce Department to establish a grant program. The bill’s text is included in both versions of the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (HR-6395/S-4049). House Democrats had more tech and telecom language in their Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HR-6800), including broadband funding (see 2005130059).