Bill ID: 119/s/503
Last Updated: April 9, 2026

Sponsored by

Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO]

ID: H000273

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Held at the desk.

November 10, 2025

Introduced

📍 Current Status

Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.

🏛️

Committee Review

🗳️

Floor Action

Passed Senate

🏛️

House Review

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Another masterpiece of legislative theater, brought to you by the esteemed members of Congress. The NET Act, or "Network Equipment Transparency Act," because who doesn't love a good acronym? Let's dissect this farce and expose the underlying disease.

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The bill's stated purpose is to direct the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to evaluate the impact of the telecommunications network equipment supply chain on universal service deployment. How noble. In reality, this is just a thinly veiled attempt to give the FCC more power and create a new bureaucratic hurdle for telecom companies.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill amends Section 13(b) of the Communications Act of 1934, requiring the FCC to assess how network equipment availability affects advanced telecommunications capability deployment. Oh, wow. This is going to be a real game-changer. The amendments are so convoluted that even the most ardent supporter would struggle to explain them without falling asleep.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** Telecom companies will be forced to provide more information to the FCC, because who doesn't love filling out more paperwork? Consumers might see some minor benefits from improved universal service deployment, but let's not get too excited – this is just a drop in the ocean of bureaucratic inefficiency.

**Potential Impact & Implications:** The real impact will be on the telecom industry's bottom line. This bill is a classic example of regulatory capture, where special interest groups (in this case, equipment manufacturers) use their influence to shape policy and stifle competition. The FCC will get more power, and the industry will get more red tape. Consumers will get... well, nothing they didn't already have.

Diagnosis: This bill is suffering from a bad case of "Regulatory Capture-itis," a disease characterized by an overabundance of bureaucratic nonsense and a complete disregard for the public interest. The symptoms include:

* Excessive use of jargon and acronyms * Convoluted amendments that serve no practical purpose * A complete lack of transparency (ironic, given the bill's title) * Special interests masquerading as "public good"

Treatment: Apply a healthy dose of skepticism and ridicule to the sponsors of this bill. Force them to explain their reasoning in plain English, without resorting to bureaucratic doublespeak. And for goodness' sake, don't let them near any actual policy decisions.

Prognosis: This bill will likely pass, because who doesn't love a good show of legislative theater? But its impact will be negligible, and the real winners will be the special interests who managed to sneak their agenda into the fine print.

Related Topics

Civil Rights & Liberties State & Local Government Affairs Transportation & Infrastructure Small Business & Entrepreneurship Government Operations & Accountability National Security & Intelligence Criminal Justice & Law Enforcement Federal Budget & Appropriations Congressional Rules & Procedures
Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

💰 Campaign Finance Network

Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$69,400
16 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$3,400
Committees
$0
Individuals
$66,000

No PAC contributions found

1
THE CHICKASAW NATION
3 transactions
$3,400

No committee contributions found

1
SANKAR, SHYAM
2 transactions
$6,600
2
CARSON, RUSSELL
2 transactions
$6,600
3
GATES, WILLIAM H. III
2 transactions
$6,600
4
JAIN, AKASH
2 transactions
$6,600
5
BROWN, SAM WINFRED
2 transactions
$6,600
6
ALLHASSANI, MEHDI
1 transaction
$3,300
7
KELLEY, JIM
1 transaction
$3,300
8
KARP, ALEXANDER
1 transaction
$3,300
9
DODSON, DEWEY
1 transaction
$3,300
10
WARNER, MICHAEL
1 transaction
$3,300
11
LOGAN, HAROLD R.
1 transaction
$3,300
12
LENZMEIER, CHARLES
1 transaction
$3,300
13
LOGAN, ANN M.
1 transaction
$3,300
14
GOLDBERG, MICHAEL
1 transaction
$3,300
15
ARSENAULT, MARCEL
1 transaction
$3,300

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 3 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS]

ID: M000934

Top Contributors

10

1
BORCK, LEON H.
INNOVATIVE LIVESTOCK SERVICES EXECUTIVE
Individual MANHATTAN, KS
$6,600
Mar 11, 2024
2
MANDELBLATT, DANIELLE
DMM PROPRIETA MANAGEMENT MANAGER
Individual ASPEN, CO
$6,600
Sep 26, 2024
3
MANDELBLATT, ERIC
SOROBAN CAPITAL PARTNERS LP MANAGING PARTNER
Individual ASPEN, CO
$6,600
Sep 26, 2024
4
CATZ, SAFRA
ORACLE CORPORATION CEO
Individual WASHINGTON, DC
$5,000
May 5, 2023
5
MISSION INDIANS, MORONGO BAND OF
INDIAN TRIBE INDIAN TRIBE
Individual BANNING, CA
$5,000
Aug 13, 2024
6
WILLIS, THOMAS M
CONESTOGA ENERGY PARTNERS CEO
Individual LIBERAL, KS
$5,000
Aug 26, 2024
7
WEILERT, STANLEY R
S&B MOTELS, INC. HOTELIER
Individual WICHITA, KS
$3,500
Jun 26, 2023
8
BORCK, JACKIE
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS
Individual MANHATTAN, KS
$3,300
Mar 11, 2024
9
BORCK, JACKIE
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS
Individual MANHATTAN, KS
$3,300
Mar 11, 2024
10
THOMAS, ROBERT
SENIOR STAR CO-OWNER
Individual TULSA, OK
$3,300
Feb 22, 2024

Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV]

ID: C001047

Top Contributors

10

1
CHEROKEE NATION
Organization TAHLEQUAH, OK
$2,800
Dec 31, 2024
2
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
Organization PRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,000
Nov 8, 2023
3
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
Organization PRIOR LAKE, MN
$1,000
Jul 22, 2024
4
ARNOLD, JOHN MR.
RETIRED RETIRED
Individual HOUSTON, TX
$6,600
Dec 27, 2023
5
MANOCHERIAN, JENNIFER MS.
RETIRED RETIRED
Individual SCARSDALE, NY
$6,600
Feb 17, 2023
6
MANOCHERIAN, JED MR.
SELF REAL ESTATE
Individual NEW YORK, NY
$6,600
Feb 23, 2023
7
MANOCHERIAN, GREG MR.
SELF EMPLOYED REAL ESTATE
Individual POUND RIDGE, NY
$6,600
Mar 1, 2023
8
MANOCHERIAN, KIM
PANAM EQUITIES EXECUTIVE
Individual NEW YORK, NY
$6,600
Mar 27, 2023
9
KAY, ALISON MS.
KIDS CAPITAL HEDGE FUND MANAGER
Individual BEVERLY HILLS, CA
$6,600
Jun 20, 2023
10
MANDELBLATT, DANIELLE
DMM PROPRIETA MANAGEMENT MANAGER
Individual ASPEN, CO
$6,600
Sep 26, 2024

Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]

ID: P000595

Top Contributors

10

1
MATCH-E-BE-NASH-SHE-WISH BAND OF POTTAWATOMI INDIANS
Organization SHELBYVILLE, MI
$3,300
Oct 22, 2024
2
STRATEGIC LINK CONSULTING, LP
Organization KENNESAW, GA
$3,300
May 28, 2024
3
MUCKLESHOOT INDIAN TRIBE
Organization AUBURN, WA
$3,300
Aug 11, 2023
4
OTOE MISSOURIA TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA
Organization RED ROCK, OK
$2,900
May 29, 2024
5
HABEMATOLEL POMO OF UPPER LAKE TRIBE OF CALIFORNIA
Organization UPPER LAKE, CA
$2,900
May 29, 2024
6
TURTLE MOUNTAIN BAND OF CHIPPEWA TRIBE OF NORTH DAKOTA
Organization BELCOURT, ND
$2,900
May 28, 2024
7
CHEROKEE NATION
Organization TAHLEQUAH, OK
$2,500
Jan 9, 2024
8
HABEMATOLEL POMO OF UPPER LAKE TRIBE OF CALIFORNIA
Organization UPPER LAKE, CA
$2,500
Jun 30, 2024
9
OTOE MISSOURIA TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA
Organization RED ROCK, OK
$2,500
Jun 30, 2024
10
TURTLE MOUNTAIN BAND OF CHIPPEWA TRIBE OF NORTH DAKOTA
Organization BELCOURT, ND
$2,500
Jun 30, 2024

Donor Network - Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

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Showing 28 nodes and 32 connections

Total contributions: $103,900

Top Donors - Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO]

Showing top 16 donors by contribution amount

1 Org15 Individuals