S. 259Senate119th Congress (2025-2027)Passed Senate

Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act

Introduced January 27, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 24, 2025 at 3:17 AM UTC

The Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act requires the Federal Communications Commission to publicly disclose which companies and other entities that hold FCC licenses are owned or controlled by foreign governments or their subsidiaries from designated “covered countries.” The law sets deadlines for publishing an initial list, creating rules to capture additional entities, and updating the list annually, aiming to increase transparency about foreign influence in U.S. communications infrastructure.

Key Provisions

  • Within 120 days of the law taking effect, the FCC must post online a list of every entity that holds a FCC license (including cable landing licenses) and that is owned or controlled by a foreign government or an entity organized under a foreign government designated as a “covered country.”
  • Within 18 months, the FCC must adopt rules to collect information on any other FCC authorizations (beyond the licenses listed above) held by entities with equity or voting interests that must be reported under FCC ownership rules.
  • One year after those rules are issued, the FCC must add any newly identified entities to the public list, and must update the list at least once a year.
  • The information‑collection activities required by this law are exempt from the Paperwork Reduction Act.

Legislative Activity

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8 earlier actions
HouseFloor Latest Action

Held at the desk.

October 24, 2025 • 2:15 PM

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

January 27, 2025

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

January 27, 2025

SenateCommittee

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

April 30, 2025

SenateCommittee

Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz without amendment. With written report No. 119-36.

July 9, 2025

SenateCalendars

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 110.

July 9, 2025

SenateFloor

Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S7734; text: CR S7734)

October 23, 2025

SenateFloor

Message on Senate action sent to the House.

October 23, 2025

HouseFloor

Received in the House.

October 24, 2025 • 2:02 PM

HouseFloor

Held at the desk.

October 24, 2025 • 2:15 PM

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about S. 259 on the floor

1 Republican
Joni Ernst
Sen. Joni ErnstR-IA · Oct 23, 2025

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 110, S. 259. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time. The…

Bill Text

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Engrossed in SenateIssued October 23, 2025

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 259

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