H.R. 1717 — Communications Security Act

This section directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish, not later than 90 days after enactment, a Council on Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability—or to designate and modify an existing FCC advisory committee—to advise the FCC on the security, reliability, and interoperability of communications networks. Council membership, appointed by the FCC Chair, must include—to the extent practicable—representatives from the communications industry and from public interest organizations or academic institutions (excluding any determined by the Chair to be "not trusted," i.e., owned by, controlled by, or subject to the influence of a foreign adversary, or otherwise posing a national security threat using criteria from the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019), plus at least one representative each from the federal government, state governments, local governments, and Tribal governments; members serve two-year terms (with vacancies filled for the remainder of the term) and must have relevant knowledge and experience. Not later than two years after establishment (and biennially thereafter), the council must submit adopted reports—including recommendations—to the FCC Chair, which the FCC must post publicly online; the council is exempt from termination under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. 1013(a)(2)).