,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ecfe  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #i1        
#bjai,mr4 ,flores 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,long1 and ,mr4 ,steube7 introduced the 
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce 
,a ,,bill  ,to require the ,federal     
,communications ,commission to approve  
or deny a license transfer application  
within #ahj days of submission1 and for 
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,license       
,transfer ,modernization ,act of #bjai4 
#b4 ,time limits for ,commission action 
on transfers and assignments ,title ,,iv
 of the ,communications ,act of #aicd   
7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #dja et seq47 is amended 
by adding at the end the following3     
#dag4 ,time limits for ,commission      
action on transfers and assignments  7a7
 ,definition ,in this section1 the term 
covered application means an application
 for the transfer of control or         
assignment of any license or            

authorization subject to the            
jurisdiction of the ,commission4  7b7   
,requirements  7#a7 ,in general         
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law1 including section #cji7;e71 the    
,commission-- 7,a7 shall approve or deny
 a covered application2 and  7,b7 may   
not designate a covered application for 
hearing1 unless the ,commission first   
determines by a majority vote that a    
material factual question exists about  
misrepresentation or lack of candor by  
the applicant4  7#b7 ,determination     
,except as provided in paragraph 7#c71  
the ,commission shall make a            
determination to approve or deny a      
covered application during the period   
that begins on the date on which the    
applicants provide to the ,commission   
the last submission relating to the     
application before the ,commission      
issues the initial public notice seeking
 comment on the application and ends    
#ahj days thereafter4  7#c7 ,extensions 
7,a7 ,in general  7i7 ,request ,during  

the #ahj-;day review period described   
under paragraph 7#b77;,a71 the          
,commission may apply to the ,united    
,states ,district ,court for the        
,district of ,columbia for an extension 
of that period for an additional #cj    
days by filing a motion to extend that  
references this section4  7ii7 ,court   
determination ,the court may grant an   
extension of the #ahj-;day review period
 requested under clause 7i7 if-- 7,i7   
the court finds that the applicants for 
the transfer of control or assignment   
have not substantially complied in a    
timely manner with a reasonable request 
by the ,commission for information2     
7,,ii7 the ,commission shows1 by clear  
and convincing evidence1 that the       
,commission is unable to complete review
 within the #ahj-;day review period2 or 
7,,iii7 an ,executive agency 7as defined
 in section #aje of title #e1 ,united   
,states ,code7 has requested in writing 
that the ,commission delay a            
determination pending the ,executive    

agency's national security review of the
 transfer of control or assignment4     
7,b7 ,additional extensions ,the        
,commission may request1 and the court  
may grant1 additional #cj-;day          
extensions in the same manner as an     
initial extension under subparagraph    
7,a74  7c7 ,approval absent ,commission 
action  7#a7 ,in general ,a covered     
application shall be deemed approved    
without conditions if the ,commission   
does not approve or deny the application
 or apply for an extension during the   
applicable period under subsection 7b74 
7#b7 ,pending litigation  7,a7 ,in      
general ,except as provided in          
subparagraph 7,b71 if the #ahj-;day     
review period under subsection 7b77#b7  
has expired1 the ,commission may not    
deny a covered application or approve a 
covered application with conditions1    
during the pendency of any litigation   
relating to a request by the ,commission
 for an extension under subsection      
7b77#c7 with respect to the covered     

application1 including any time during  
which a court has entered a stay pending
 appeal or administrative stay of such  
litigation4  7,b7 ,extension request    
denied after #ahj-;day review period ,if
 a request for an extension under       
subsection 7b77#c7 is denied after the  
expiration of the #ahj-;day review      
period under subsection 7b77#b7--  7i7  
the ,commission shall make a            
determination to approve or deny the    
covered application not later than #aj  
days after the date on which the        
extension request is denied2 and  7ii7  
the covered application shall be deemed 
approved without conditions if the      
,commission does not approve or deny the
 application during the #aj-;day period 
described in clause 7i74  7d7 ,burden of
 persuasion shifted ,notwithstanding any
 other provision of law1 including      
section #gjf of title #e1 ,united       
,states ,code1 in a judicial appeal of a
 ,commission decision to deny a covered 
application1 the ,commission shall bear 

the burden of persuasion to demonstrate 
that the decision is--  7#a7 permitted  
under applicable statutes and           
regulations2 and  7#b7 supported by the 
required amount of factual evidence4  4 
#c4 ,technical and conforming amendment 
,section #caj7;d7 of the ,communications
 ,act of #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #caj7;d77 
is amended1 in the second sentence1 by  
inserting before the semicolon the      
following3 1 except as otherwise        
provided in section #dag4  #d4          
,effective date ,the amendment made by  
section #a shall apply with respect to  
any covered application that is         
submitted to the ,federal               
,communications ,commission on or after 
the date of the enactment of this ,act4