Title 47 — Telecommunications
Part I · Chapter 5 — Wire or Radio Communication
§ 215. Examination of transactions relating to furnishing of services, equipment, etc.; reports to Congress
Statutory text
Access to records and documents
The Commission shall examine into transactions entered into by any common carrier which relate to the furnishing of equipment, supplies, research, services, finances, credit, or personnel to such carrier and/or which may affect the charges made or to be made and/or the services rendered or to be rendered by such carrier, in wire or radio communication subject to this chapter, and shall report to the Congress whether any such transactions have affected or are likely to affect adversely the ability of the carrier to render adequate service to the public, or may result in any undue or unreasonable increase in charges or in the maintenance of undue or unreasonable charges for such service; and in order to fully examine into such transactions the Commission shall have access to and the right of inspection and examination of all accounts, records, and memoranda, including all documents, papers, and correspondence now or hereafter existing, of persons furnishing such equipment, supplies, research, services, finances, credit, or personnel. The Commission shall include in its report its recommendations for necessary legislation in connection with such transactions, and shall report specifically whether in its opinion legislation should be enacted (1) authorizing the Commission to declare any such transactions void or to permit such transactions to be carried out subject to such modification of their terms and conditions as the Commission shall deem desirable in the public interest; and/or (2) subjecting such transactions to the approval of the Commission where the person furnishing or seeking to furnish the equipment, supplies, research, services, finances, credit, or personnel is a person directly or indirectly controlling or controlled by, or under direct or indirect common control with, such carrier; and/or (3) authorizing the Commission to require that all or any transactions of carriers involving the furnishing of equipment, supplies, research, services, finances, credit, or personnel to such carrier be upon competitive bids on such terms and conditions and subject to such regulations as it shall prescribe as necessary in the public interest.
Exclusive dealing contracts
The Commission shall examine all contracts of common carriers subject to this chapter which prevent the other party thereto from dealing with another common carrier subject to this chapter, and shall report its findings to Congress, together with its recommendations as to whether additional legislation on this subject is desirable.
Legislative history
Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.
Pub. L. 73–652 · 48 Stat. 1064
Enacted · 47 U.S.C. § 215
June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title II, § 215, 48 Stat. 1076
Source evidence
Code source credit
June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title II, § 215, 48 Stat. 1076Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2018
Pub. L. 115–141 div. P title IV § 402(i)(2) · 132 Stat. 348
Redesignated · 47 U.S.C. § 215(b); 47 U.S.C. § 215(c)
Pub. L. 115–141 redesignated subsec. (c) as (b)
Struck · 47 U.S.C. § 215(b); 47 U.S.C. § 215(c)
Pub. L. 115–141 struck out former subsec. (b). Prior to amendment, text of subsec. (b) read as follows: “The Commission shall investigate the methods by which and the extent to which wire telephone companies are furnishing wire telegraph service and wire telegraph companies are furnishing wire telephone service, and shall report its findings to Congress, together with its recommendations as to whether additional legislation on this subject is desirable.”
Source evidence
Code amendment note
Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 115–141 redesignated subsec. (c) as (b) and struck out former subsec. (b). Prior to amendment, text of subsec. (b) read as follows: “The Commission shall investigate the methods by which and the extent to which wire telephone companies are furnishing wire telegraph service and wire telegraph companies are furnishing wire telephone service, and shall report its findings to Congress, together with its recommendations as to whether additional legislation on this subject is desirable.”Enacted provision · exact public law section
Sec. 402. (a) The amounts made available by this title for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission may be reprogrammed for any program, project, or activity, and the Commission shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress at least 30 days prior to the use of any proposed reprogramming that would cause any program funding level to increase or decrease by more than $500,000 or 10 percent, whichever is less, during the time period covered by this Act. (b) (1) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission may waive the notification requirement in subsection (a) if compliance with such requirement would pose a substantial risk to human health, the environment, welfare, or national security. (2) The Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall notify the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress of any waiver under paragraph (1) as soon as practicable, but not later than 3 days after the date of the activity to which a requirement or restriction would otherwise have applied. Such notice shall include an explanation of the substantial risk under paragraph (1) that permitted such waiver and shall provide a detailed report to the Committees of such waiver and changes to funding levels to programs, projects, or activities. (c) Except as provided in subsections (a), (b), and (d), the amounts made available by this title for “Nuclear Regulatory Commission—Salaries and Expenses” shall be expended as directed in the explanatory statement described in section 4 (in the matter preceding division A of this consolidated Act). (d) None of the funds provided for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall be available for obligation or expenditure through a reprogramming of funds that increases funds or personnel for any program, project, or activity for which funds are denied or restricted by this Act. (e) The Commission shall provide a monthly report to the Committees on Appropriations of both Houses of Congress, which includes the following for each program, project, or activity, including any prior year appropriations— (1) total budget authority; (2) total unobligated balances; and (3) total unliquidated obligations.
2 of 3 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 partial
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original “this Act”, meaning act June 19, 1934, ch. 652, 48 Stat. 1064, known as the Communications Act of 1934, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 609 of this title and Tables.
Amendments
2018—Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 115–141 redesignated subsec. (c) as (b) and struck out former subsec. (b). Prior to amendment, text of subsec. (b) read as follows: “The Commission shall investigate the methods by which and the extent to which wire telephone companies are furnishing wire telegraph service and wire telegraph companies are furnishing wire telephone service, and shall report its findings to Congress, together with its recommendations as to whether additional legislation on this subject is desirable.”
Credits
1934–2018 · 2 acts
- 1934June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title II, § 215, 48 Stat. 1076
- 2018Pub. L. 115–141, div. P, title IV, § 402(i)(2), , 132 Stat. 1089.
Show as published
(June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title II, § 215, 48 Stat. 1076; Pub. L. 115–141, div. P, title IV, § 402(i)(2), , 132 Stat. 1089.)