The House is scheduled to take up the spectrum trust fund legisla...

of House votes. At introduction of the bill, some House Commerce Committee members expressed concerns that appropriators might interpret the bill as usurping spending authority from the Appropriations Committee. The proposed Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act (HR-1320) by House Telecom Subcommittee Chmn. Upton (R-Mich.) would create a trust fund paid for through spectrum auctions that would help reimburse govt. agencies that relocated to new spectrum bands, thus making more spectrum available for commercial usage. The Commerce Committee passed the bill April 30 on voice vote (CD May 1 p1). House appropriators will pose no objections to the bill, an Appropriations Committee spokesman said. A spokesman for Upton said little opposition to the bill was expected, as did other House sources. However, the timing of the bill could pose problems for the Telecom Subcommittee. It has scheduled a hearing on emergency responder spectrum issues at 11 a.m. in Rm. 2322, Rayburn Bldg. Upton’s spokesman said if the bill was addressed at or around 10:15 a.m., it should be passed by the time the hearing began. A markup of similar legislation in the Senate Commerce Committee is tentatively scheduled for June 19. That bill (S-865) by Senate Commerce Committee Chmn. McCain (R-Ariz.) was taken directly from the House version after it passed the Telecom Subcommittee markup (CD April 10 p1). Commerce Committee spokesman Ken Johnson said that despite the fact that members were upset about the Congressional Budget Office price tag for the bill of $2.5 billion over 10 years, it still fell within budget parameters and avoided potential confrontation with House appropriators. “We've got the votes,” Johnson said. He also said the committee was optimistic about similar legislation in the Senate.