Federal Communications Commission Amendments of 1981

Federal Communications Commission Amendments of 1981 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to change the limitations on the types of companies in which Commissioners and employees of the Federal Communications Commission may have a financial interest. Prohibits Commissioners and employees of the FCC from holding a financial interest in companies the primary enterprise of which is communications or manufacturing regulated by the FCC. Authorizes the FCC to waive the prohibition for FCC employees.

Sets the salary rates for FCC Commissioners. Permits the FCC to locate its principal office within two miles of the District of Columbia. Allows each Commissioner three professional assistants. Authorizes the FCC to require direct reimbursement from a sponsor of a conference for the expenses incurred by FCC employees attending the conference if the sponsor requested their attendance and their attendance furthered the functions of the FCC.

Authorizes the FCC to accept the voluntary services of persons holding amateur station operator licenses to prepare and administer examinations for an amateur station operator license. Authorizes the FCC to recruit, train, and accept the voluntary services of such licensee to monitor violations of the Communications Act.

Directs the FCC to study the use of radio and wire communications in connection with national security and emergency preparedness and to coordinate government agencies and private entities with relation to such use. Directs the FCC to consult with the President in order to make the peacetime regulatory responsibilities of the FCC compatible with the wartime planning responsibilities of the executive branch. Directs the Chairman of the FCC to designate a National Security-Emergency Preparedness Commissioner.

Permits the FCC to reorganize its bureaus and offices. Requires only two (currently three) employees on boards formed to conduct adjudicatory reviews.

Permits the FCC to authorize the operation of radio stations without individual licenses in the radio control service and the citizen band radio service.

Grants the FCC jurisdiction over all intrastate radio communications.

Authorizes the FCC to enter into contracts with privately operated testing laboratories for conducting tests to determine whether a device capable of emitting radio frequency energy complies with the FCC regulations governing the interference potential of such devices. Authorizes such laboratories to certify that the devices comply with FCC regulations.

Authorizes the FCC to issue radio station operators licenses to persons the FCC finds qualified (currently aliens may not obtain such licenses). Permits the FCC to suspend the licenses of operators who cause, aid, or abet violations of the Communications Act. Authorizes the FCC to recognize radio station licenses and radio operator licenses issued by foreign governments with respect to aircraft registered in the United States.

Authorizes the FCC to intercept radio communications in order to enforce the Communications Act and to disclose the information obtained by the interception. Permits the FCC to contract with other Federal agencies for reimbursement for certain assistance given those agencies.

Authorizes the FCC to order the temporary cessation of a regulated radio frequency transmission if the transmission causes electromagnetic interference with radio communications or electronic equipment and endangers life.

Increases the terms of licenses and license renewals for non-broadcast stations from five to ten years. Makes the term of any license for the operation of an auxiliary broadcast station or equipment concurrent with the term of the license of the primary station.

Authorizes the FCC to grant temporary (currently emergency) radio operation authorization for renewable periods of up to 180 (currently 90) days.

Permits FCC approval of an agreement in which an applicant for a broadcast station construction permit agrees with other applicants to withdraw only if the FCC determines that the agreement is in the public interest. Prohibits a finding that the agreement is in the public interest if the agreement contemplates making payments to the withdrawing applicant that exceed the amount the applicant spent in filing the application.

Permits the FCC to waive the licensed operator requirement for broadcast stations other than broadcast stations whose sole function is to rebroadcast television signals.

Prohibits requiring construction permits for public coast stations, privately owned fixed microwave stations, or stations licensed to common carriers.

Authorizes the FCC to use assistance furnished by private sector coordinating committees in coordinating the assignment of frequencies in the private land mobile and fixed services.

Repeals the provisions relating to Public Broadcasting.

Requires the appellant in an appeal of an FCC order to notify the other persons interested in the appeal (currently the FCC must make such notifications).

Changes the filing deadlines for certain petitions for review and the effective date of certain FCC orders.

Makes cable television operators subject to a forefeiture penalty for violations of the Communications Act.

Exempts from the prohibition against unauthorized publication of radio communications those amateur radio and band communications monitored by volunteers for enforcement actions by the FCC.

Amends the Criminal Code to extend to FCC employees the statutory protection against assaults and death that exists for Federal employees.

Makes certain technical and conforming amendments. Authorizes limiting the grounds for denying an application for authorization of a non-broadcast station, to allegations of electromagnetic interference. Defines the terms "willful" and "repeated" for purposes of determining administrative sanctions. Repeals the provision requiring an FCC permit in order to export programming for rebroadcasting to the United States.