,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #gfj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,march #ag1         
#bjae,mr4 ,heller 7for himself and ,ms4 
,klobuchar7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,commerce1         
,science1 and ,transportation  ,a ,,bill
  ,to amend the ,communications ,act of 
#aicd to authorize a bipartisan majority
 of ,commissioners of the ,federal      
,communications ,commission to hold     
nonpublic collaborative discussions4    
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,federal ,communications        
,commission ,collaboration ,act of      
#bjae4  #b4 ,findings ,congress finds   
the following3  7#a7 ,commissioners of  
the ,federal ,communications ,commission
 7in this section referred to as the    
,commission71 past and present1 have    
stated that1 while they support the     
intent of section #eeb;b of title #e1   
,united ,states ,code1 the              
implementation of that section has      

hindered the ability of the ,commission 
to have a substantive exchange of ideas 
and hold collective deliberations on    
issues pending before the ,commission4  
7#b7 ,the principal purpose of ,congress
 in creating a multimember agency is to 
obtain the benefits of collegial        
decisionmaking by the members of the    
agency1 who bring to the decisionmaking 
process different philosophical         
perspectives1 experiences1 and areas of 
expertise4  7#c7 ,commissioners have    
relied primarily on an inefficient      
combination of written messages1        
communications among staff1 and a series
 of meetings restricted to #b           
,commissioners at each such meeting to  
discuss complex telecommunications      
matters pending before the ,commission4 
7#d7 ,extensive use of such methods of  
communication has harmed collegiality   
and cooperation at the ,commission4     
7#e7 ,numerous regulatory matters have  
been pending before the ,commission for 
years1 and continued inaction on these  

issues has the potential to hinder      
innovation and private investment in the
 domestic communications industry4  7#f7
 ,the ,commission must be able to work  
more collaboratively and efficiently    
than in the past to meet the current    
challenge of expanding broadband        
,internet access to the extent necessary
 to serve the business1 educational1    
health1 and cultural needs of all people
 in the ,united ,states4  #c4 ,nonpublic
 collaborative discussions of the       
,federal ,communications ,commission    
,section #d of the ,communications ,act 
of #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #aed7 is amended
 by adding at the end the following3    
7p7 ,nonpublic collaborative discussions
  7#a7 ,definitions ,in this            
subsection-- 7,a7 the term agency action
 has the meaning given the term in      
section #eea of title #e1 ,united       
,states ,code2 and  7,b7 the term       
bipartisan majority means1 when used    
with respect to a group of              
,commissioners1 that the group-- 7i7 is 

a group of #c or more ,commissioners2   
and  7ii7 includes-- 7,i7 for each      
political party of which any            
,commissioner is a member1 not less than
 #a ,commissioner who is a member of the
 political party2 and  7,,ii7 if any    
,commissioner has no political party    
affiliation1 not less than #a           
unaffiliated ,commissioner4  7#b7       
,authority to hold meetings             
,notwithstanding section #eeb;b of title
 #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 a bipartisan
 majority of ,commissioners may hold a  
meeting that is closed to the public to 
discuss official business if--  7,a7 a  
vote or any other agency action is not  
taken at the meeting2  7,b7 each person 
present at the meeting is a             
,commissioner1 an employee of the       
,commission1 a member of a joint board  
or conference established under section 
#daj1 or a person on the staff of such a
 joint board or conference or of a      
member of such a joint board or         
conference2 and  7,c7 an attorney from  

the ,office of ,general ,counsel of the 
,commission is present at the meeting4  
7#c7 ,disclosure of nonpublic           
collaborative discussions ,not later    
than #b business days after the         
conclusion of a meeting held under      
paragraph 7#b71 the ,commission shall   
publish a disclosure of the meeting1    
including--  7,a7 a list of the persons 
who attended the meeting2 and  7,b7 a   
summary of the matters discussed at the 
meeting1 except for any matters that the
 ,commission determines may be withheld 
under section #eeb;b7c7 of title #e1    
,united ,states ,code4  7#d7            
,preservation of open meetings          
requirements for agency action ,nothing 
in this subsection shall limit the      
applicability of section #eeb;b of title
 #e1 ,united ,states ,code1 with respect
 to a meeting of ,commissioners other   
than that described in paragraph 7#b74  
4