Innovation and Technology

Congresswoman Matsui believes that there are enormous opportunities in Sacramento to spur the innovation economy. She has supported policies that ensure multiple sectors of our economy — from health care, to clean energy, to technology — prosper as the region continues to grow.

With the growth of technology in health care, Congresswoman Matsui has advocated for policies that encourage innovation in the telehealth space, while also protecting patients. The Congresswoman has introduced several bipartisan bills including the Telemental Health Expansion Act and the Telehealth Modernization Act to expand access to and improve the quality of telehealth. She is also a leading member of the bipartisan Energy & Commerce Telehealth Working Group, which is working to advance telehealth policies within the Medicare program.

As Co-Chair of the High Tech Caucus and the Vice Chair of the Energy & Commerce Communications & Technology Subcommittee, Congresswoman Matsui is working to address the pressing tech issues of today and tomorrow while increasing the accessibility and affordability of communications services. During her time in Congress, the Congresswoman has continuously advocated for policies that expand access to broadband while allowing our wireless economy to grow. As Congresswoman Matsui likes to say, the airwaves, known as spectrum, are the invisible infrastructure of our 21st Century economy. Congresswoman Matsui has championed new approaches to unlock this valuable resource to fuel the economy. In 2019, Matsui introduced the WIN 5G Act that laid out a process for auctioning off valuable “C-Band” spectrum. That auction concluded in early 2021 and raised more than $80 billion in revenues for the U.S. Treasury. The Congresswoman is a co-author of the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) for America Act, which would restore semiconductor manufacturing back to American soil by increasing federal incentives to stimulate advanced chip manufacturing, enable cutting-edge research and development, secure the supply chain and bring greater transparency to the microelectronics ecosystem. Congresswoman Matsui successfully included an amendment based on the CHIPS Act in the FY21 NDAA. Shortly after his election, Congresswoman Matsui called on President Biden to develop a spectrum strategy that will help bring more spectrum to market to support faster networks and better service for consumers.

Congresswoman Matsui is also advocating for policies that support access to reliable, affordable, high-speed broadband for families and students. Millions of Americans still lack broadband access — households in rural America are unserved and many low-income families struggle to afford the high cost. As a result, these Americans are at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to employment, education, and other opportunities. The Congresswoman authored the first piece of federal legislation to address this problem by expanding the Lifeline program, a program that has helped low income Americans get telephone service since President Reagan’s Administration, to cover broadband access. Since then, she has consistently fought to expand the Lifeline program’s reach and impact. At the onset of the pandemic, the Congresswoman called on the top broadband regulator to expand Lifeline to help struggling families stay online. To support connectivity in schools, Congresswoman Matsui introduced H.R. 8612, the Enhancing K-12 Cybersecurity Act which would provide $400 million in grant funding to help K-12 schools improve cybersecurity as they increasingly rely on distance and online learning.

As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Co-Chair of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), Congresswoman Matsui has made it a top priority to bring clean energy technology to Sacramento and transform the city into a global leader in the sector. From securing a $127.5 million grant for the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) to modernizing the electric grid through the installation of SmartGrid, to advocating for a California Rural Home Mortgage Finance Authority Homebuyers Fund (CHF) home retrofit loan program, the Congresswoman continues to support forward-thinking clean energy policies that help our economy and the environment.

Congresswoman Matsui has also been a champion of net neutrality and ensuring our nation has a free and open Internet. She has authored legislation that would prohibit so-called Internet fast lanes from harming consumers, small businesses and innovators.

During her time in Congress, the Congresswoman has continuously advocated for policies that allow our wireless economy to grow. As Congresswoman Matsui likes to say, the airwaves, known as spectrum, are the invisible infrastructure of our mobile society. Congresswoman Matsui champions an all of the above approach to improve the efficiency of how we use this finite resource – everything from creating new opportunities for WiFi to improving the way the federal government uses spectrum. For example, the Federal Spectrum Incentive Act of 2015 will ensure consumers can make wireless connections on their smartphones, tablets, and devices now and into the future – and give federal agencies the opportunity to improve their missions. The legislation won unanimous approval from the House Energy & Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee in 2015.

Accomplishments

• Three pieces of legislation authored by Congresswoman Matsui were included in House Democrats’ Make It In America Plan to promote manufacturing and innovation in America.

• Helped secure over $300 million in American Recovery & Reinvestment Act funds for energy efficiency programs, research and development and job training. Including $127.5 for SMUD’s Smart Grid deployment.

• Original Cosponsor of the USA Telecommunications Act to improve supply chain security in telecommunications equipment. The bill was signed into law as part of the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

• Introduced the House amendment of the CHIPS Act to boost investments in American manufacturing of strategically important semiconductor industry which was signed into law as part of the FY21.

• Successfully urged the Federal Communications Commission on multiple occasions to make new spectrum available to fuel the innovation economy and support deployment of 5G.

• Fought for the adoption of strong net neutrality rules by the FCC, so that every American, innovator, and small business has equal access to an open Internet. Congresswoman Matsui’s Online Competition and Consumer Choice Act, a bill to prevent fast and slow lanes online, was incorporated into the FCC’s final net neutrality decision.

• Congresswoman Matsui’s Broadband Adoption Act (H.R. 2638) to make Internet access more affordable for low-income families through the FCC’s Lifeline Program was included in House Democrats’ Make It in America Plan. In 2016 the FCC adopted Congresswoman Matsui’s recommendation to expand the Lifeline program to support broadband.

Legislation

• H.R. 8612, the Enhancing K-12 Cybersecurity Act

• H.R. 4171, the WIN 5G Act

• H.R. 4131, Improving Access to Remote Behavioral Health Treatment Act

• H.R. 5918, the Emergency Reporting Act

• H.R. 3811, the IoT Standards Leadership Act

• H.R. 3475, SPECTRUM NOW Act

• H.R. 1888, Federal Spectrum Incentive Act

• H.R. 1576 Innovation Corps Act of 2017