SB 1897 – Ban foreign telecom infrastructure

SB 1897 strengthens Texas’s communications infrastructure by ensuring that sensitive equipment from foreign adversaries is removed and banned from future use. The bill sets a hard deadline after which no new communications infrastructure can include technology from companies that appear on the federal government’s security risk list. It also requires existing harmful infrastructure to be dismantled and replaced, while streamlining the permitting process to avoid bureaucratic delays. Importantly, any provider that refuses to comply will be disqualified from receiving state or local taxpayer funds or federally distributed infrastructure grants. This protects Texas taxpayers from unknowingly subsidizing companies that endanger national and state security. The law also ensures transparency by requiring a detailed public map showing where banned technology has been deployed. Overall, the bill promotes fiscal responsibility, public safety, and economic and national security.