Hi , Here is the recording from the August 4th National Call for Safe Technology: https://youtu.be/DJ1cXJ2mkcs Please remember to see the (attached) info-packed agenda for any additional info or details on information in this email! SPEAKERS / GUESTS - Federal Bills Edition - Seamus Dowdall, Associate Legislative Counsel for the National Association of Counties opposing HR3557 spoke. He handles the tech portfolio for NACO, which represents all counties across the US (about 90% counties are actually members)
- HR3557 was constructed out of series of bills that became one bill - Seamus Says this is a Vehicle for unprecedented local preemption
- NACO's position is that it would like to reserve local decision making as much as possible and they don't want to see
preemption that would remove local government from the equation when considering modifications or construction of telecommunications facilities. NACO does not believe that preemptions of local authority are a solution to the problem of expediting the telecom buildout - and view it as counterproductive.
- NACO has
Worked to engage the Energy and Commerce Committee on the House side
- He says they consider the Acknowledgment on the "No" votes that this was a preemption
- Bill was referred to Transportation and Infrastructure and
Natural Resources so now they're trying to educate these committee members on how this would remove local and state voices in these decisions
- Timeline? continuing to engage throughout the rest of this year.
- Don't
want to see local preemption in other bills either, such as spectrum reauthorization bill HR3565
- This is not the first time this has come up in congress but they like to remind lawmakers that the shot clocks and other tools to "streamline" this infrastructure removes local government out of the equation in decision making
- Speaker McCarthy apparently hasn't come to a decision on this yet.
- Advice on how to speak to people who speak to representatives: Make them aware of what's at stake with these types of bills
- NACO has begun to indicate other bills they oppose and don't oppose, but most of the ones they oppose are regarding local control (such as HR4141 - see info on this bill below)
- NACO sees the Community Broadband Act (HR2552) as a positive step because they feel it gives local governments the direct ability to make decisions. They do not necessarily view
this an antidote to the preemption bill, but it gives local governments control. Anna Eschew is one of main sponsors - has been introduced - someone mentioned it leaves out small cells: https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/2552?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22community+broadband+act+2023%22%5D%7D&s=1&r=1
- Here is Seamus's email to give to our local officials when we contact them: SDowdall@naco.org
- Other bad bills... (in addition to HR3557 - not a complete list):
- H.R.4141: To provide that certain communications projects are not
subject to requirements to prepare certain environmental or historical preservation reviews, and for other purposes. –– https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4141
- HR 3565: authorizes the FCC to resume wireless spectrum auctions; paves the way to make additional spectrum available in 2025 (around 4.5 GHz and 8 GHz); creates a slower federal definition of broadband of 100 Mb downstream/20 Mb upstream (see section 901). The bill would allow broadband funding to be used for slower networks, overriding the existing regulation that defines broadband as a faster 100 Mb downstream and 100 Mb upstream. Fiber-optic
networks easily meet the faster standard. The slower standard would make it easier for federal broadband grants to be used for wireless networks (instead of fiber). E&C Committee approved 50-0.
- HR 3309: Establishes uniform fees for wireless applications on government land and buildings. E&C Committee approved 50-0.
- HR 3309: Establishes uniform fees for wireless applications on government land and buildings. E&C Committee approved 50-0.
- HR 3293: Establish a “strikeforce” to ensure that communications facilities authorizations are expedited on federal land and in national forests, for wireline and wireless (both licensed and unlicensed). E&C Committee
approved 51-0.
- HR 3299: Requires the Department of Interior and the Department of Agriculture to establish online portals to accept, process, and dispose of certain forms to deploy facilities on federal property. E&C Committee approved 51-0.
- HR 3283: requires Department of Commerce to
report to Congress on the barriers to processing online forms for deployment on federal property. E&C Committee approved 51-0.
- HR 3343: requires Department of Commerce to create a plan for accepting, processing, and disposing of certain forms. E&C Committee approved 51-0.
- BILL TRACKING FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
- Katherine Katzin: Created a List of Pertinent House and Senate Committees - House Energy and Commerce, Rules, Natural Resources Sub Committee, Transportation and Infrastructure and Senate Commerce Committee - we spent a good amount of time filling in constituents of members of each committee during the call.
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ACTION ITEMS / UPDATES / NEWS - Three announcements from Courtney Gilardi:
- OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS (See agenda or
below agenda for additional details on each)
- EPA National Environmental Youth Advisory Council (see below agenda for details) Deadline is August 23rd
- HUD they had an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking and request for public comments on changes that the Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD or the Department) is considering to its implementing regulations for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) for federally assisted and HUD conducted programs and activities - We had a filing that many of us signed onto July 24th.
- FDA American's for Responsible Technology Petition - https://www.americansforresponsibletech.org/fda (below the fold, click on comment button) - include how your life would be different if the ADA had warned that
wireless was potentially dangerous - Docket is open until FDA responds - we are assuming they're taking at least full six months which would be November 24th deadline.
- DoD presentation on using EMR spectrum for superiority strategy:https://media.defense.gov/2020/Oct/29/2002525927/-1/-1/0/ELECTROMAGNETIC_SPECTRUM_SUPERIORITY_STRATEGY.PDF
- “Remembering
Nearfield” – Sean Carney Update Official selection at Cannes World Film Festival for best Disability Film; now a finalist and is now officially listed on their website: https://www.cannesworldfilmfestival-archive2023.com/june-2023-finalists
- Rinat Strahlhofer launched
the new WeAreNotSam website: https://www.wearenotsam.com/- Unveiling the Flawed Side of Mobile
Phone Safety Testing.
- Brenda Martinez for CHD Update
- Working on HR 3557 Action Alert to include the rest of the other really bad bills.
- Bad bills in CA going to appropriations committee this week so they will be resending the action alerts for those bills - need support and all eyes are on California.
- Series of articles (and more coming!):
ADDITIONAL ITEMS/LINKS - Here is an excerpt from an email from Arthur Firstenberg regarding a Policy Brief written and released by the Cellular Phone Task Force. If you'd like to read the key points and support this brief you can find out how below:
Last fall, the World Council for Health asked us to draft a Policy Brief on Electrosmog, for guidance to governments, legislators, environmental organizations, schools, and religious, political
and community leaders. It is now finalized and available for distribution here and on our website. If your organization wishes to join in supporting this brief, please email us. WCH will publish its Policy Brief on Digitalization, which Cellular Phone Task Force also supports, as early as next
week. |
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| | Key Points - The study of electricity should be restored to biology and medicine.
- Personal wireless communication must be phased out because the radiation that carries all the messages is destroying life on
earth.
- Mobile phones must be replaced with landline phones, WiFi with ethernet cables, and other wireless consumer devices with devices connected by wires and cables.
- Mobile phone antennas and masts must be phased out and removed.
- Wireless technology must be removed from vehicles.
- Smart
meters must be replaced with analog meters.
- Smart highways, smart cities, and the Internet of Things must cease being developed and deployed.
- Radar
stations must be limited in number, location and power.
- Radar (microwave) ovens should not be used for heating food.
- An international treaty on
electrosmog, addressing radiation on land, in the oceans, and in space, must be drafted.
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Sincerely, Jenny DeMarco Virginians for Safe
Technology Odette
Wilkens Wired Broadband,
Inc. |
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