H.R. 7742, Telecom Deregulation / Merger Acceleration. Quorum's AI analysis reads it as a net cost — and names who bears it.
H.R. 7742 · Net cost
What it does
This bill imposes strict time limits on the FCC's review of applications for telecom companies to transfer control or assign licenses. The FCC must determine completeness within 15 days, issue public notice within 7 days of completeness, and approve applications within 180 days (or 1 year if foreign-ownership review is required). If the FCC misses these deadlines, applicants can obtain a court order forcing approval unless the FCC proves in court that denial serves the public interest. The bill effectively converts regulatory review into a race against the clock, with automatic approval as the default outcome.
The analysis names major telecom carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Charter, Comcast) — and 3 more groups — among the beneficiaries.
The cost
Automatic approval on deadline expiration means the FCC cannot deny applications based on public interest unless it wins a court case—a reversal of the normal burden of proof in administrative law.
The analysis put a high warning level on this bill. Transparency scores 75%, and the analysis found no provisions unrelated to the bill's subject.
Who is behind it
Filed by August Pfluger. Cosponsored by Josh Gottheimer.