To provide for the expedited and increased assignment of spectrum for public safety purposes.

April 14, 2005

Ms. HARMAN (for herself, Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania, Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN, Mrs. TAUSCHER, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California, Mr. FORD, Mr. PASCRELL, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. ETHERIDGE, Ms. NORTON, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. ANDREWS, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, and Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

To provide for the expedited and increased assignment of spectrum for public safety purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Homeland Emergency Response Operations Act' or the `HERO Act'.

SEC. 2. PREVENTION OF DELAY IN REASSIGNMENT OF 24 MEGAHERTZ FOR PUBLIC SAFETY PURPOSES.

Section 309(j)(14) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 309(j)(14)) is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

`(E) EXTENSIONS NOT PERMITTED FOR CHANNELS (63, 64, 68 AND 69) REASSIGNED FOR PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES- Notwithstanding subparagraph (B), the Commission shall not grant any extension under such subparagraph from the limitation of subparagraph (A) with respect to the frequencies assigned, pursuant to section 337(a)(1), for public safety services. The Commission shall take all actions necessary to complete assignment of the electromagnetic spectrum between 764 and 776 megahertz, inclusive, and between 794 and 806 megahertz, inclusive, for public safety services and to permit operations by public safety services on those frequencies commencing no later than January 1, 2007.'.

END