Today:  US House Passes Telecom Legislation. US House Video Legislation, US Senate Internet Hearing

US House Passes Telecom Legislation

The House Energy and Commerce Committee announced that the full House of Representatives passed four bipartisan bills that will expand broadband infrastructure and strengthen public safety communications.  They include:

• H.R. 4881, Precision Agriculture Connectivity Act of 2018, authored by #SubDCCP Chairman Latta and Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA), to require the FCC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to form a task force to evaluate the best ways to meet the broadband needs of precision agriculture.
• H.R. 5709, Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement (PIRATE) Act, authored by #SubCommTech Vice Chairman Leonard Lance (R-NJ) and Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), to increase fines for illegal pirate operations from $10,000 per violation to $100,000 per day per violation, up to a maximum of $2,000,000, and streamline the FCC’s enforcement. By preventing illegal pirate radio operations, airwaves are kept free for legitimate broadcasters and public safety announcements.
• H.R. 3994, the Advancing Critical Connectivity Expands Service, Small Business Resources, Opportunities, Access, and Data Based on Assessed Need and Demand (ACCESS BROADBAND) Act, authored by Rep. Tonko and Rep. Lance, to establish an Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to coordinate and track federal funding for broadband across all agencies.
• Also passing the House was H.R. 2345, the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act which directs the FCC to study and report on the feasibility of designating an N11 dialing code to be used for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system.

“From closing the digital divide to enhancing public safety, the bills before us are important wins for our nation’s telecommunications infrastructure and the American people. Their bipartisan passage speaks to the dedication of members from both sides of the aisle to these critical issues. We urge the Senate to advance these bills to the President’s desk,” said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and #SubCommTech Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).

US House Video Legislation

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) reintroduced the “Next Generation Television Marketplace Act,” a comprehensive bill that replaces the restrictive rules governing cable and satellite carriage of commercial broadcast television stations with a consumer driven, free-market system that determines carriage of cable networks and streaming services.  

Among other things, the bill would:

• Repeal provisions from the Communications Act that mandate the carriage and purchase of broadcast signals by cable operators, satellite providers, and their customers.
• Repeal the Communications Act “retransmission consent” provisions and the Copyright Act’s “compulsory license” provisions. In doing so, broadcast affiliates would be allowed to sell the programming they license without hindrance and over regulation from the government.
• Promote greater competition by eliminating the government’s role in defining the scope of programming exclusivity.
• Codify the repeal of certain limitations imposed on local broadcasters that prevent them from adapting to today’s dynamic communications marketplace.

“It’s time for Congress to 'Cut the Cord' on decades-old regulations, and finally update our 90’s-era laws that are now obsolete in an age where content is available on demand and on the go. The competition among Pay-TV providers, streaming services, networks, and local channels has never been more intense, resulting in more choices for American families who are increasingly demanding more personalized viewing options at prices they can afford,” said Whip Scalise.

US Senate Internet Hearing

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, announced a hearing for July 31, 2018, entitled “The Internet and Digital Communications: Examining the Impact of Global Internet Governance.” The hearing will review international internet policies that are impacting the competitiveness, investment, and innovation opportunities of U.S. businesses domestically and abroad in today’s global digital economy. Witnesses include:

• The Honorable Michael Chertoff, Former Secretary of Homeland Security and Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, The Chertoff Group
• Mr. James Bladel, Vice President of Policy, GoDaddy
• Dr. Roslyn Layton, Ph.D., Visiting Scholar, The American Enterprise Institute
• Mr. Christopher Painter, Commissioner, Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace
• Ms. Denise Zheng, Vice President, Policy, The Business Roundtable

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 The Regulatory Mix, Inteserra’s daily blog of telecom related regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of an Inteserra Briefing.