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S. 259

U.S. SenateEngrossed

Summary

S. 259, the Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act, was introduced in the Senate on Jan 27, 2025 by Sen. Deb Fischer (R) with 3 co-sponsors. It last saw action on Oct 24, 2025: Held at the desk.


Record

Text

S. 259 has 3 co-sponsors.

sb259/engrossed-in-senate.txt
119 S259 ES: Foreign Adversary Communications 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. 259 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES AN ACT
To direct the Federal Communications Commission to publish a list of entities that hold authorizations, licenses, or other grants of authority issued by the Commission and that have certain foreign ownership, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act .
2.
List of entities holding FCC authorizations, licenses, or other grants of authority and having certain foreign ownership
(a)
Definitions
In this section:
(1)
Appropriate national security agency
The term appropriate national security agency has the meaning given such term in section 9 of the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019 ( 47 U.S.C. 1608 ).
(2)
Commission
The term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission.
(3)
Covered country
The term covered country means a country specified in section 4872(f)(2) of title 10, United States Code.
(4)
Covered entity
The term covered entity means—
(A)
the government of a covered country;
(B)
an entity organized under the laws of a covered country; and
(C)
a subsidiary of an entity described in subparagraph (B), regardless of whether the subsidiary is organized under the laws of a covered country.
(b)
Publication of list
Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall publish on the internet website of the Commission a list of each entity—
(1)
that holds a license issued by the Commission pursuant to—
(A)
section 309(j) of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 309(j) ); or
(B)
the Act of May 27, 1921 ( 47 U.S.C. 34 et seq. ; commonly known as the Cable Landing Licensing Act ) and Executive Order 10530 ( 3 U.S.C. 301 note; relating to the performance of certain functions vested in or subject to the approval of the President); and
(2)
with respect to which—
(A)
a covered entity holds an equity or voting interest that is required to be reported to the Commission under the ownership rules of the Commission; or
(B)
an appropriate national security agency has determined that a covered entity exerts control, regardless of whether such covered entity holds an equity or voting interest as described in subparagraph (A).
(c)
Rulemaking
(1)
In general
Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall issue rules to obtain information to identify each entity—
(A)
that holds any authorization, license, or other grant of authority issued by the Commission (other than a license described in subsection (b)(1)); and
(B)
with respect to which a covered entity holds an equity or voting interest that is required to be reported to the Commission under the ownership rules of the Commission.
(2)
Placement on list
Not later than 1 year after the Commission issues the rules required by paragraph (1), the Commission shall place each entity described in such paragraph on the list published under subsection (b).
(d)
Paperwork Reduction Act exemption
A collection of information conducted or sponsored by the Commission to implement this section does not constitute a collection of information for the purposes of subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Paperwork Reduction Act ).
(e)
Annual updates
The Commission shall, not less frequently than annually, update the list published under subsection (b), including with respect to any entity required to be placed on such list by subsection (c)(2).
Passed the Senate October 23, 2025. Secretary

Tracker

The tracker indicates the progress of this legislation as it moves through the legislative process.

  1. Introduced2025-01-27
  2. Passed Senate2025-10-23
  3. Passed House
  4. Conference
  5. To President
  6. Became Law

CRS Summary

The summaries are the Congressional Research Service’s, one per stage. Read them in full.

Introduced in Senate Jan 27, 2025

sb259/introduced-in-senate.md

Shown Here:
Introduced in Senate (01/27/2025)

Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act

This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to annually publish a list of entities that hold a license or other authorization granted by the FCC and have ties to specified foreign countries.

With respect to entities holding cable landing licenses (for the placement and operation of submarine communications cables) or other licenses granted via competitive auction, the FCC must publish a list of all such entities (1) in which a covered entity holds a specified voting or equity interest, or (2) that have been determined by a national security agency to be subject to the control of a covered entity.

With respect to entities holding all other categories of FCC licenses or other authorizations, the FCC must first issue rules facilitating the collection of information on such licensees’ ownership structure. After that information is obtained, the FCC must add to the published list any such entity in which a covered entity holds a specified voting or equity interest.

Under the bill, a covered entity is defined as an entity organized in China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia; a subsidiary of such an entity; or the government of China, Iran, North Korea, or Russia.

Sponsors

Sen. Deb Fischer (R) sponsors S. 259, and 3 members have co-sponsored it, all of them from the day it was introduced.

Committees

S. 259 went before 1 committee: Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Reported By · Jul 9, 2025 · 458 Bills

Reports

1 committee report has been filed on S. 259, the latest S. Rept. 119-36.

Actions

S. 259 has taken 10 actions since Jan 27, 2025, the latest on Oct 24, 2025.

ChamberAction
Oct 24, 202514:02
House
Received in the House.
Oct 24, 202514:15
House
Held at the desk.
Oct 23, 2025
Senate
Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S7734; text: CR S7734)
Oct 23, 2025
Senate
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Oct 23, 2025
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.

Votes

S. 259 has not gone to a roll call.

1 bill is related to S. 259.

Titles

S. 259 goes by 5 titles, 3 of them short titles.

  • Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act — Display Title
  • Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act — Short Title(s) as Passed Senate
  • Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act — Short Title(s) as Reported to Senate
  • Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act — Short Title(s) as Introduced
  • A bill to direct the Federal Communications Commission to publish a list of entities that hold authorizations, licenses, or other grants of authority issued by the Commission and that have certain foreign ownership, and for other purposes. — Official Title as Introduced

Cost estimate

The Congressional Budget Office has filed 1 estimate for S. 259, the latest on Jun 11, 2025.


Lobbying

5 clients hired 6 firms and 30 registered lobbyists who named S. 259 in 17 quarterly filings, 2025 to 2026. Reported under the Lobbying Disclosure Act; a filing’s income covers everything its registrant worked that quarter, so the amounts below are the filings’, not this bill’s.

Filed under Taxation/Internal Revenue Code, Telecommunications, Trade (domestic/foreign), Budget/Appropriations, Computer Industry, Banking, Defense, Education.

Clients

Who paid to be heard, by how many filings named the bill.

ClientBusinessStateFirmsFilingsReported
COMPETITIVE CARRIERS ASSOCIATIONDistrict of Columbia16
AT&T SERVICES INC AND ITS AFFILIATESDistrict of Columbia24$150K
LENOVO (UNITED STATES) INC.Consumer electronics manufacturerNorth Carolina14
FDD ACTIONDistrict of Columbia12
CLEAN FUEL ALLIANCE "FKA NATIONAL BIODIESEL BOARD"Biodiesel advocacyMissouri11$30K

Firms

Registrants who filed on the bill, by filings.

Lobbyists

Named on the filings that cite the bill. The 20 named most often, of 30.

Filings

The documents themselves, on the Senate’s Lobbying Disclosure site, largest reported first.

ClientRegistrantPeriodReportedDocument
AT&T SERVICES INC AND ITS AFFILIATESAT&T SERVICES, INC. AND ITS AFFILIATES2025 first_quarter$2.8M1st Quarter - Report
LENOVO (UNITED STATES) INC.LENOVO (UNITED STATES) INC.2025 third_quarter$430K3rd Quarter - Report
LENOVO (UNITED STATES) INC.LENOVO (UNITED STATES) INC.2025 fourth_quarter$420K4th Quarter - Report
LENOVO (UNITED STATES) INC.LENOVO (UNITED STATES) INC.2025 second_quarter$260K2nd Quarter - Report
LENOVO (UNITED STATES) INC.LENOVO (UNITED STATES) INC.2025 first_quarter$240K1st Quarter - Report
COMPETITIVE CARRIERS ASSOCIATIONCOMPETITIVE CARRIERS ASSOCIATION2026 second_quarter$170K2nd Quarter - Report
FDD ACTIONFDD ACTION2025 second_quarter$170K2nd Quarter - Report
COMPETITIVE CARRIERS ASSOCIATIONCOMPETITIVE CARRIERS ASSOCIATION2025 third_quarter$160K3rd Quarter - Report
COMPETITIVE CARRIERS ASSOCIATIONCOMPETITIVE CARRIERS ASSOCIATION2025 second_quarter$160K2nd Quarter - Report
COMPETITIVE CARRIERS ASSOCIATIONCOMPETITIVE CARRIERS ASSOCIATION2025 first_quarter$160K1st Quarter - Report
COMPETITIVE CARRIERS ASSOCIATIONCOMPETITIVE CARRIERS ASSOCIATION2026 first_quarter$150K1st Quarter - Report
COMPETITIVE CARRIERS ASSOCIATIONCOMPETITIVE CARRIERS ASSOCIATION2025 fourth_quarter$150K4th Quarter - Report
FDD ACTIONFDD ACTION2025 first_quarter$150K1st Quarter - Report
AT&T SERVICES INC AND ITS AFFILIATESMERCURY STRATEGIES, LLC2025 third_quarter$50K3rd Quarter - Report
AT&T SERVICES INC AND ITS AFFILIATESMERCURY STRATEGIES, LLC2025 second_quarter$50K2nd Quarter - Report
AT&T SERVICES INC AND ITS AFFILIATESMERCURY STRATEGIES, LLC2025 first_quarter$50K1st Quarter - Report
CLEAN FUEL ALLIANCE "FKA NATIONAL BIODIESEL BOARD"KIT BOND STRATEGIES2025 first_quarter$30K1st Quarter - Report

Classification

The Congressional Research Service files S. 259 under Science, Technology, Communications, one of its 31 policy areas, and gives it 14 legislative subjects.

CRS Subjects

CRS assigns every bill one policy area from its 31; S. 259’s is Science, Technology, Communications.

s259/policy-areas.txt
Science, Technology, CommunicationsAgriculture and FoodAnimalsArmed Forces and National SecurityArts, Culture, ReligionCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCommerceCongressCrime and Law EnforcementEconomics and Public FinanceEducationEmergency ManagementEnergyEnvironmental ProtectionFamiliesFinance and Financial SectorForeign Trade and International FinanceGovernment Operations and PoliticsHealthHousing and Community DevelopmentImmigrationInternational AffairsLabor and EmploymentLawNative AmericansPublic Lands and Natural ResourcesSocial WelfareSports and RecreationTaxationTransportation and Public WorksWater Resources Development

Legislative Subjects

S. 259 carries 14 of CRS’s legislative subjects, from Asia to Venezuela.

s259/subjects.txt
AsiaCaribbean areaChinaCorporate finance and managementCubaForeign and international corporationsGovernment information and archivesIranLatin AmericaLicensing and registrationsMiddle EastNorth KoreaRussiaVenezuela

Source: congress.gov · legiscan.com