WASHINGTON—The Republican version of a spectrum-reform bill will not be ready until late this year at which time it will be melded with a Democratic version, said Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), ranking member of the Senate communications subcommittee.
Burns’ spectrum-reform bill has been long anticipated but he will now wait for a spectrum-reform study by the General Accounting Office before completing work on the bill, the senator told reporters following an appearance at the E-Safety Forum sponsored by the Communications for Coordinated Assistance and Response to Emergencies Alliance.
Along a separate by seemingly similar track, Sen. Ernest Hollings (D-S.C.), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, is also working on a spectrum-reform bill.
Burns said he expects to eventually work with Hollings to come up with bipartisan spectrum reform.
The Senate communications subcommittee will hold a hearing on spectrum-management issues on June 11.
