WASHINGTON, DC – The House of Representatives today approved legislation to increase transparency, efficiency, and accountability at the Federal Communications Commission. H.R. 2583, the FCC Process Reform Act of 2015, authored by Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), passed the House by a voice vote.

“This bill is the product of a multi-year, bipartisan legislative process, bringing us to a place where we can at least begin to create a framework for more transparent and predictable rulemakings at the FCC,” said Walden. “Process reform isn’t about the actions of one party, or one chairman. This is about putting rules into place that will carry over from one administration to the next, creating consistency and certainty for the many that are subject to the commission’s rules.”

“By requiring the FCC to be more transparent in its rulemakings, and adopt procedures that create certainty, this legislation helps promote jobs, investment, and innovation in Michigan and across the country,” added full committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI). “The Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act seeks to make the FCC more transparent and accountable, for both industry and consumers. And while we want to improve the agency as much as possible, we aren’t looking to tie their hands or dictate their procedures; this legislation simply lays out productive goals for the FCC and instructs the agency to determine how best to achieve them.”

Walden concluded, “While there is still much work to be done on reforming the procedures at this sometimes broken agency, this bill represents a vital first step in the process. The communications industry and more importantly, the American people, deserve a transparent and accountable federal agency, no matter who is in charge.”

Learn more about H.R. 2583, the Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act, HERE.

Learn more about the Energy and Commerce Committee’s #RecordOfSuccess HERE.

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