[BCVHFA] Fwd: ARLB013 Full US House Okays Telecoms Bill with BPL Study Language Intact

[K8CM]

>SB QST @ ARL $ARLB013
>ARLB013 Full US House Okays Telecoms Bill with BPL Study Language Intact
>
>ZCZC AG13
>QST de W1AW
>ARRL Bulletin 13  ARLB013
> From ARRL Headquarters
>Newington CT  June 9, 2006
>To all radio amateurs
>
>SB QST ARL ARLB013
>ARLB013 Full US House Okays Telecoms Bill with BPL Study Language Intact
>
>On a 321 to 101 vote, the US House of Representatives on June 8 
>passed the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement 
>(COPE) Act of 2006. The House-passed bill, HR 5252, leaves intact 
>language that required the FCC to study the interference potential 
>of BPL systems. US Rep Mike Ross, WD5DVR (D-AR), one of two radio 
>amateurs in Congress, sponsored the BPL study requirement, ''Study 
>of Interference Potential of Broadband over Power Line Systems,'' 
>contained in Title V, Section 502 of the complex bill. HR 5252 now 
>goes to the US Senate, where a separate--and very 
>different--telecoms bill, the Communications, Consumer's Choice, and 
>Broadband Deployment Act of 2006 (S 2686) is still in committee.
>
>''We were concerned that a representative might be persuaded by BPL 
>interests to introduce an amendment to delete or dilute Section 
>502,'' said ARRL CEO David Sumner, K1ZZ. ''As it turns out that 
>didn't happen, although we had taken steps to counter it if it had. 
>So for now our focus returns to the Senate Commerce, Science and 
>Transportation Committee.'' Sumner says that if similar language 
>were introduced on the Senate side, it would be more likely to 
>remain when and if the House and Senate versions go to a  conference committee.
>
>Section 502 calls on the FCC to ''conduct, and submit to the 
>Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and 
>the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
>Senate, a study of the interference potential of broadband over 
>power line systems,'' within 90 days of the bill's  enactment.
>
>The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee will 
>consider S 2686 in a markup session later this month. The ARRL has 
>e-mailed members in the 22 states with Senators on the committee, 
>urging them to write seeking support to include similar BPL study 
>language in the Senate bill.
>NNNN
>/EX