§924 Withdrawal or Limitation of Assignment to Federal Government Stations

Summary

The President must act within 6 months after getting a report under section 923. If the report says a frequency should be immediately reallocated, the President must remove its assignment from Federal Government stations. If the report says a frequency should be made immediately available for mixed use, the President must limit the Federal assignment within 6 months. If the Secretary recommends a later effective date, the President must remove or limit the assignment on that later date. The President can move other frequencies to Federal stations as needed to make these changes. The President must send a notice describing what was done to the Commission and to each House of Congress. If the President finds certain problems, the President may pick another frequency instead and remove or limit that alternative frequency. The President must explain the reasons to the Commission, the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. The allowed problems include threats to national defense, a frequency being uniquely needed by the government, risks to public health or safety, costs to the Federal Government that are too high compared with benefits, or disruption to amateur radio use. Any substitute frequency must meet the same criteria the Secretary used in section 923(a). If a change cannot be finished by the Secretary’s delayed date or would leave a frequency unused under the Commission’s plan, the President may set a later date (and must notify the committees and the Commission why) or substitute other frequencies.