U.S. lawmakers have introduced a bill aimed at strengthening the Federal Communications Commission's “Covered List.”

Bipartisan leadership from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. and Chairman Brett Guthrie, unveiled the Communications and Technology Transparency Act earlier this week to greatly expand the types of technology and equipment deemed “malicious” from entry into the U.S.

Under the bill, the Covered List would now also include tech identified by Congress or the Department of Commerce in addition to those covered by the FCC. It would also bar any listed entity from receiving an FCC license or authorization and would provide for “enhanced congressional oversight” for additions or removals from the list.

“The current process for identifying and barring malicious foreign technology has worked in many cases, but lacks the transparency, consistency, and clarity needed to meet our long-term national security needs as technology rapidly advances,” Guthrie and Pallone said in a statement.

“It’s time for Congress to address these discrepancies and ensure there are no gaps in how we deal with our foreign adversaries or the telecom equipment they develop and control.”

The introduction of the Communications and Technology Transparency Act comes as President Trump met with Xi Jinping in Beijing this week to discuss reducing ongoing tensions, with the two nations at loggerheads amid tense competition around AI and technology.

The FCC is among the agencies leading the charge against perceived threats from China, which include banning imports of all Chinese-made network equipment, as well as all foreign-made routers and devices like Wi-Fi hot spots. The agency is also considering barring U.S. telecom carriers from interconnecting with Chinese data centers.

There have also been suggestions that the Trump administration is looking for ways to further hamper Chinese AI development. Strict sanctions on exports of high-end AI chips have already stifled some efforts, with reports floating around that the U.S. government wants to add Chinese AI labs to the Covered List. Lawmakers floated the idea of adding controls for heavily supply chain-constrained memory chips to further limit Chinese access to U.S. technology.

There are also reports that Trump officials want to hobble Chinese tech companies supplying hardware to the U.S., with optical transceivers believed to be firmly in the crosshairs. Officials have reportedly argued that such a move is one driven by security concerns, preventing Chinese actors from compromising facilities through hidden malware or unauthorized data exfiltration. But many U.S. hyperscalers rely on optics made by Chinese firms, with transceivers vital for networks underpinning their AI infrastructure buildouts.

“Every day our adversaries are relentless in their attempts to breach our communications networks, and every day those efforts become increasingly sophisticated,” Chairman Guthrie and Ranking Member Pallone said. “This bill meets that challenge, builds on our past efforts, and creates an enduring and transparent process for safeguarding and securing America’s communications networks.”