House FY 2018 Omnibus Text Contains Ray Baum's Act, Cloud Act, $600 Million for RUS Pilot

The FY 2018 omnibus spending bill contains language from the House-passed Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services (Ray Baum's) Act FCC reauthorization and spectrum legislative package (HR-4986), as expected. House leaders released the spending bill's text Wednesday evening. The House could vote on the measure as soon as Thursday, with a Senate vote to follow. The current continuing resolution to fund the government expires Friday.

The included HR-4986 text includes language from the Viewer Protection Act (HR-3347) to authorize additional repack funding and from the Spectrum Auction Deposits Act (HR-4109) that would let the FCC place bidders' deposits for future spectrum auctions in a Treasury Department fund. The omnibus allocates $1 billion in additional repack funding, with $600 million available in FY 2018 and $400 million in FY 2019. Funding will be available until July 3, 2023. The omnibus version of HR-4986 also includes a revised version of language from the Senate-passed Making Opportunities for Broadband Investment and Limiting Excessive and Needless Obstacles to Wireless (Mobile Now) Act (S-19) spectrum bill.

Also included is language from the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act (HR-4943/S-2383), despite privacy groups' concerns. The Cloud Act "includes strong privacy protections around access to data, contains clear human rights protections, and maintains a robust role for Congress and the judicial system in overseeing agreements to obtain data," said BSA|The Software Alliance.

Among other provisions of interest to the telecom sector are $600 million in funding for a Rural Utilities Service-administered “Distance Learning, Telemedicine, and Broadband Program” and $7.5 million for NTIA to coordinate the federal government's broadband mapping activites, also as expected.