What This Bill Does · Plain English
Summary · Congress.gov
Network Equipment Transparency Act or the NET Act This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to report biennially on the impact of network equipment availability on the deployment of advanced telecommunications capabilities (i.e., broadband). This assessment must be included in the FCC’s reports on the state of the communications marketplace, which are submitted to Congress and published publicly every other year.
Action Timeline
2025-11-10
Received in the House.
2025-11-10
Held at the desk.
2025-11-07
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
2025-11-04
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
2025-11-04
Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S7904-7905; text: CR S7905)
2025-09-29
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz without amendment. With written report No. 119-66.
2025-09-29
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz without amendment. With written report No. 119-66.
2025-09-29
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 171.
2025-05-21
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
2025-02-10
Introduced in Senate
Frequently Asked Questions
Did S.503 pass?
S.503 is still alive. Current stage: PASSED_ONE. Pass likelihood: 24%.
What does S.503 do?
Network Equipment Transparency Act or the NET Act This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to report biennially on the impact of network equipment availability on the deployment of advanced telecommunications capabilities (i.e., broadband). This assessment must be included in the FCC’s reports on the state of the communications marketplace, which are submitted to Congress and published publicly every other year.
Who sponsored S.503?
S.503 was sponsored by John W. Hickenlooper (D-Colorado).
Full Bill Text
119 S503 ES: Network Equipment Transparency Act U.S. Senate text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. 119th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 503 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES AN ACT To direct the Federal Communications Commission to evaluate and consider the impact of the telecommunications network equipment supply chain on the deployment of universal service, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Network Equipment Transparency Act or the NET Act . 2. Telecommunications supply chain consideration (a) In general Section 13(b) of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 163(b) ) is amended— (1) by redesignating paragraphs (3), (4), and (5) as paragraphs (4), (5), and (6), respectively; and (2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following: (3) assess, to the extent that data is available to the Commission, how the availability of network equipment may have impacted the deployment of advanced telecommunications capability during the applicable reporting period; . (b) Rule of construction Nothing in the amendments made by subsection (a) shall be construed to require any provider of advanced telecommunications capability to provide the Federal Communications Commission more information than was required for the purpose of section 13 of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 163 ) as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act. (c) Technical and conforming amendments Section 13 of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 163 ), as amended by subsection (a), is amended— (1) in subsection (b)— (A) in paragraph (5), as so redesignated, by striking (3) and inserting (4) ; and (B) in paragraph (6), as so redesignated, by striking (4) and inserting (5) ; (2) in subsection (c), by striking (b)(4) and inserting (b)(5) ; and (3) in subsection (d)(3), by striking (b)(3) and inserting (b)(4) . Passed the Senate November 4, 2025. Secretary
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