H.R. 5081 – the first bill to reallocate the D Block to public safety, sponsored by Rep. Peter King (NY), now has 69 bi-partisan co-sponsors.

Senate Bill 3625 (McCain/Lieberman) and the proposed Public Safety Spectrum and Wireless Innovation Act, sponsored by Senator Rockefeller, all have provisions to transfer the D Block to public safety.

The senate bills provide public safety with up to $5.5B for capital expenditures and $5.5B for operating expenses, depending upon the auction results, to deploy public safety broadband through an auction of spectrum other than the D Block (1.7 and 2.1 GHz).  Congress will only be meeting for a few more weeks before the 2010 elections and your Congressional representatives need to know that the reallocation of the D Block is vitally important to the vast majority of public safety communications professionals.  Every state, county, local government or other Part 90 licensee should contact their Congressional representatives and weigh in on the D Block issue.