,i  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #gidc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #af1 #bjbf,mr4
 ,menendez 7for himself1 ,ms4 ,matsui1  
,ms4 ,barragn1 and ,mr4 ,carter of      
,louisiana7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce  ,a 
,,bill  ,to establish within the        
,federal ,communications ,commission the
 ,communications ,equity and ,diversity 
,council1 and for other purposes4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,communications ,equity and         
,diversity ,council ,act4  #b4          
,communications ,equity and ,diversity  
,council  7a7 ,establishment ,there is  
established within the ,commission an   
advisory committee to be known as the   
,communications ,equity and ,diversity  
,council4  7b7 ,duties ,the duties of   
the ,council shall be the following3    
7#a7 ,to make recommendations to the    
,commission1 including with respect to--
  7,a7 advancing equity with respect to 

the provision of and access to          
communication services1 without         
discrimination on the basis of race1    
color1 religion1 national origin1 sex1  
or disability2  7,b7 assisting          
historically underserved individuals to 
benefit from communication services and 
opportunities made possible by such     
services2  7,c7 accelerating the        
deployment to all communities of        
affordable and reliable communication   
services by reducing or removing        
regulatory barriers to infrastructure   
and investment2  7,d7 accelerating the  
entry of small businesses1 including    
those owned by historically underserved 
individuals1 into industries relating to
 communication services2 and  7,e7      
promoting1 with respect to communication
 services1 a diversity of voices1       
localism1 economic competition1         
technological advancement1 and the      
public interest1 convenience1 and       
necessity4  7#b7 ,to provide a forum for
 stakeholders with respect to           

communication services1 including with  
respect to the issues of--  7,a7        
deployment2  7,b7 affordability2  7,c7  
digital discrimination2  7,d7 access to 
capital2  7,e7 small business mentoring2
  7,f7 employment upskilling2  7,g7     
ownership diversity2 and  7,h7          
procurement opportunities4  7#c7 ,to    
develop data and examine industry trends
 and practices for purposes of carrying 
out each duty described in this         
subsection4  7#d7 ,to carry out other   
tasks as determined appropriate by the  
,commission4  7c7 ,membership  7#a7     
,number and appointment ,the ,council   
shall be composed of not fewer than #cj 
and not more than #ce members1 each of  
whom shall be appointed by the ,chair of
 the ,commission4  7#b7 ,term ,each     
member of the ,council shall serve for a
 #b-year term4  7#c7 ,representation    
,the members of the ,council shall--    
7,a7 be appointed in a manner that      
ensures the ,council has the expertise  
and balance of viewpoints necessary to  

carry out the duties of the ,council2   
and  7,b7 include representatives of--  
7i7 historically underserved            
individuals2  7ii7 consumers2  7iii7    
civil rights organizations2 and  7iv7   
industry stakeholders with respect to   
communication services4  7#d7           
,designated ,federal ,officer  7,a7     
,appointment ,the ,chair of the         
,commission shall appoint an employee of
 the ,commission as the ,designated     
,federal ,officer for purposes of the   
,council4  7,b7 ,duties ,the ,designated
 ,federal ,officer appointed under      
subparagraph 7,a7 shall-- 7i7 call or   
approve each meeting of the ,council2   
7ii7 prepare and approve each meeting   
agenda2  7iii7 attend each meeting of   
the ,council2  7iv7 adjourn each meeting
 of the ,council once the ,designated   
,federal ,officer determines adjournment
 is in the public interest2 and  7v7    
chair each meeting of the ,council when 
directed to do so by the ,chair of the  
,commission4  7#e7 ,vacancies ,the      

,chair of the ,commission shall fill any
 vacancy of the ,council within #fj days
 from the date an appointment of the    
,council becomes vacant4  7d7 ,meetings 
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,council shall    
meet not fewer than #c times each year4 
7#b7 ,open meeting requirements ,each   
meeting of the ,council shall-- 7,a7 be 
open to the public2 and  7,b7 result in 
a deliverable1 accessible to the public1
 including-- 7i7 any recommendation made
 to the ,council2  7ii7 a summary of the
 meeting2  7iii7 meeting minutes2 and   
7iv7 a presentation of any topic        
discussed4  7#c7 ,notice ,timely notice 
of each meeting of the ,council shall be
 published in the ,federal ,register4   
7e7 ,authorization of appropriations    
,there is authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out this section #dej1jjj for  
fiscal year #bjbg4  7f7 ,definitions ,in
 this section3  7#a7 ,commission ,the   
term ,commission means the ,federal     
,communications ,commission4  7#b7      
,council ,the term ,council means the   

,communications ,equity and ,diversity  
,council established under subsection   
7a74  7#c7 ,communication service ,the  
term communication service means        
communication services subject to the   
jurisdiction of the ,federal            
,communications ,commission4  7#d7      
,historically underserved individual    
,the term historically underserved      
individual means each of the following3 
7,a7 ,an individual of color4  7,b7 ,a  
woman4  7,c7 ,an individual who resides 
in a rural area4  7,d7 ,a veteran4  7,e7
 ,an individual with a disability4  7,f7
 ,an individual adversely affected by   
persistent poverty or inequality4  7#e7 
,rural ,the term rural has the meaning  
given such term in section #ed4fjj of   
title #dg1 ,code of ,federal            
,regulations 7or any successor          
regulation74