WASHINGTON-A bi-partisan bill to end the digital TV transition on Dec. 31, 2006, and give spectrum to public safety was re-introduced Thursday after failing to pass in the last Congress.
“The Hero Act sets a firm deadline of Jan. 1, 2007, for the Federal Communications Commission to provide public-safety agencies sole access to the broadcast spectrum Congress set aside for them in 1997. It also removes the digital TV threshold requirement Congress enacted that conditioned transfer of the spectrum to the public-safety agencies on DTV rollout reaching 85 percent of American households. At present, only about 2 percent of households have DTV,” said Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), the bill’s sponsor, in a statement.
The Hero Act is co-sponsored by Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.), a former volunteer fire chief and founder of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus.
“While Congress has invested tremendous resources to assist local first responders in preparing for terrorist attacks, we have yet to provide the frequencies and technology they need to communicate and coordinate effectively. Passing the Hero Act is one step we can take to ensure that our first responders have those tools to protect our communities. In failing to do so, we are failing to protect our cities and towns in the case of emergencies,” said Weldon.
Versions of the Hero Act were passed by the House and Senate during the debate on the Intelligence Reform bill last year, but the language was stripped before final passage.
