Contact Congress about S. 259: Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act
Some communications companies with certain ties to foreign adversary countries would be named on a public FCC list. The bill covers some license holders right away and tells the FCC to find and add more later. It focuses on disclosure, not automatic bans or penalties.
Modern Action explains legislation in plain English, helps you choose whether to support, oppose, or ask for changes, and drafts a message tied to the bill, your stance, and the elected officials who can act on it.
Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act is a House bill awaiting final action. The latest recorded action: Held at the desk.
Latest action on S. 259: Held at the desk.
Who this affects: This bill mainly affects communications companies that hold FCC licenses or other FCC approvals and have certain ownership or control ties to covered foreign countries. It also affects investors, customers, competitors, and government agencies that may use the public list to judge business or security risk. The FCC would have new work to collect information, run a rulemaking, publish the list, and keep it updated.
Why this matters: This matters because people and institutions would get a clearer public picture of foreign ties inside parts of the U.S. communications system. That could shape business decisions, investment choices, and security reviews. The bill also matters because it does not directly ban or remove companies from the market. Its main effect is to expose ownership and control ties that may already exist but are harder for the public to track.
Key provisions in S. 259
- The FCC would have to post a public list of certain companies with foreign ties. The list covers entities with specified FCC licenses and reportable ownership or control linked to covered countries.
- The bill starts with certain FCC licenses. That includes licenses under section 309(j) of the Communications Act, such as spectrum licenses, and licenses under the Cable Landing Licensing Act.
- The bill does not make a new country list. It uses national security terms that already exist to define covered countries and the federal agencies involved.
- A company could be listed because a covered foreign government or company owns a reportable share of it. It could also be listed if a national security agency finds that the foreign entity controls it, even without that kind of ownership stake.
- The FCC would have to open a rulemaking within 18 months. That process would identify other authorization, license, and grant holders with reportable ownership tied to covered countries.
How Modern Action helps you take action on S. 259
You do not have to start with a blank letter. Modern Action turns the bill, your position, and the relevant congressional context into a message you can edit and send. The goal is to make contacting Congress clear, specific, and useful without forcing you to parse bill text or figure out the right office on your own.
Questions people ask about S. 259
- What is S. 259?
- Some communications companies with certain ties to foreign adversary countries would be named on a public FCC list. The bill covers some license holders right away and tells the FCC to find and add more later. It focuses on disclosure, not automatic bans or penalties.
- How do I support or oppose S. 259?
- Choose support, oppose, or ask for changes on Modern Action. The action flow drafts the message for you and keeps the wording tied to this bill.
- Who should I contact about S. 259?
- Modern Action uses your location to route the action to the congressional offices relevant to the bill and your representation.
- Can Modern Action explain S. 259 before I act?
- Yes. Modern Action gives you a plain-English summary, current status, and action context before you send anything.
