Top Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 01/04/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S125-126)

Bill Text
A bill to provide certain counties with the ability to receive television broadcast signals of their choice.

1/4/2007--Introduced.

Satellite and Cable Access Act of 2007 - Amends federal copyright law and the Communications Act of 1934 to allow certain counties and areas to receive broadcast transmissions of network television stations located in the capital of the state in which such counties and areas are located.

Latest Action: 01/22/2007 - Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Bill Text
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for a deferral of tax on gain from the sale of telecommunications businesses in specific circumstances or a tax credit and other incentives to promote diversity of ownership in telecommunications businesses. 1/22/2007--Introduced. Telecommunications Ownership Diversification Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a taxpayer election to exclude from gross income a portion of the gain from the sale of the assets of a telecommunications business to an eligible purchaser. Defines "eligible purchaser" as: (1) any economically and socially disadvantaged business as designated by the Secretary of the Treasury using specified criteria; or (2) a corporation or partnership which, following the sale of a telecommunications business, owns substantially all of the assets of such business and is at least five percent owned by the Telecommunications Development Fund established under the Communications Act of [...]

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Latest Action: 02/13/2007 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Bill Text
A bill to prohibit deceptive conduct in the rating of video and computer games, and for other purposes.

2/13/2007--Introduced.

Truth in Video Game Rating Act - Prohibits any rating organization from assigning a content rating to any video or computer game unless it has reviewed its entire playable content. Prohibits any producer, seller, or distributor of such games from withholding or hiding any such content from a rating organization.

Requires any person submitting to a rating organization a video or computer game with hidden content to accompany it with the codes or methods necessary to access such hidden content. Prohibits a rating organization from providing a content rating that grossly mischaracterizes the game content.

Makes a violation of a prohibition of this Act an unfair or deceptive act or practice under specified provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act and requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce this Act.

Latest Action: 03/03/2008 - Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Pryor with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 110-268.

Bill Text
A bill to develop the next generation of parental control technology.

3/3/2008--Reported to Senate amended.    (There is 1 other summary)

Child Safe Viewing Act of 2007 - Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to initiate a notice of inquiry to consider measures to examine: (1) the existence and availability of advanced blocking technologies that are compatible with various communications devices or platforms; and (2) methods of encouraging the development, deployment, and use of such technology by parents that do not affect the packaging or pricing of a content provider's offering.

Defines "advanced blocking technologies" as technologies that can improve or enhance the ability of a parent to protect his or her child from any indecent or objectionable video or audio programming, as determined by the parent, transmitted through wire, wireless, or radio communication.

Latest Action: 03/05/2007 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Bill Text
A bill to provide certain counties with the ability to receive television broadcast signals of their choice. 3/5/2007--Introduced. Four Corners Television Access Act of 2007 - Amends federal copyright law and the Communications Act of 1934 to allow certain counties and areas to receive broadcast transmissions of network television stations located in the capital of the state in which such counties and areas are located. Allows, notwithstanding any other provision of law, a satellite carrier, cable system, or translator station that elects to provide secondary transmission only to subscribers in the state who otherwise would not receive the primary transmission because the subscribers are in a designated market area outside of that state if: (1) the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) determines that it is in the best interest of the public welfare; and (2) the satellite carrier, cable system, or translator station agrees to also provide the secondary transmission [...]

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Latest Action: 02/27/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Bill Text
To address problem gambling. 2/16/2007--Introduced. Comprehensive Awareness of Problem Gambling Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a national campaign to increase knowledge and raise awareness of problem gambling.Requires the Secretary to: (1) administer and coordinate the voluntary donation of resources to assist in implementing new programs and augmenting existing national campaigns to provide national strategies for dissemination of information intended to address problem gambling; (2) encourage media outlets to provide information aimed at preventing problem gambling; and (3) target radio and television audiences of sporting events and gambling.Requires the President to: (1) establish and implement a national program of research on problem gambling; (2) appoint an advisory commission to coordinate federal research; and (3) consider the National Gambling Impact Study Commission's recommendations.Authorizes [...]

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Latest Action: 03/30/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E725-726)

Bill Text
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the expensing of broadband Internet access expenditures, and for other purposes. 3/29/2007--Introduced. Broadband Deployment Acceleration Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit taxpayers to elect to expense (i.e., deduct all expenses in the current taxable year) qualified broadband expenditures, including installation and connection costs for subscribers in rural or underserved areas.Permits mutual or cooperative telephone companies to elect to reduce their unrelated business taxable income in any year by the amount of their qualified broadband expenditures. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) designate census tracts identifying rural and underserved areas under this Act; and (2) prescribe regulations for carrying out the purposes of this Act. Prohibits federal or state agencies from adopting regulations and ratemaking procedures that would eliminate or reduce the broadband [...]

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Latest Action: 11/14/2007 - Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 489.

Bill Text
To amend the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003, and for other purposes. 11/13/2007--Passed House amended.    (There is 1 other summary) Compacts of Free Association Amendments Act of 2007 - Amends the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003 with respect to: (1) the provision of emergency and disaster assistance through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands; (2) Palau; and (3) the continuation of legal services to the citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands residing in the United States (including territories and possessions). Authorizes the President to transfer on a grant basis to: (1) Turkey, the OLIVER HAZARD PERRY class guided missile frigates GEORGE PHILIP and SIDES; and (2) Lithuania, the [...]

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Latest Action: 06/15/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.

Bill Text
To empower parents to protect children from increasing depictions of indecent material on television. 6/15/2007--Introduced. Family and Consumer Choice Act of 2007 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt rules to protect children from indecent video programming carried by a multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD). Gives MVPDs the option to either: (1) in accordance with FCC indecency and profanity policies and standards, not transmit indecent or profane material in the expanded basic tier between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. in the Eastern or Pacific time zones or between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the Central or Mountain times zones; (2) scramble or block any channel that a subscriber does not wish to receive; or (3) allow a subscriber to subscribe to a family tier of programming (defined as including all channels on the expanded basic tier, except those that carry programs rated TV-14 or TV-MA during those hours).[...]

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Latest Action: 06/19/2008 - Subcommittee Hearings Held.

Bill Text
To amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to allow individuals called to military service to terminate telecommunications contracts entered into before the individual receives notice of a permanent change of station or deployment orders. 10/9/2007--Introduced. Servicemembers Telecom Contract Relief Act - Allows a person in military service to terminate a telecommunications contract for cellular phone service, cable or satellite television service, or internet service at any time after: (1) entry into military service; or (2) the date of the station or deployment orders. Requires for termination that: (1) the contract is executed by or on behalf of a person who thereafter and during the term of the contract enters military service (or receives order to enter military service) under an order specifying a period of not less than 90 days (or who enters military service under an order specifying a period of 90 days or less and who, without a break in service, receives [...]

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Latest Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 02/04/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S603)

Bill Text
A bill to amend chapter 1 of title 17, United States Code, to provide an exemption from exclusive rights in copyright for certain nonprofit organizations to display live football games, and for other purposes.

2/4/2008--Introduced.

Declares that it is not a copyright infringement for churches and qualified church-controlled organizations to communicate a transmission of a professional football contest so long as no direct charge is made to see or hear the transmission, no money is accepted or received by the organization during the communication, and the transmission is not further retransmitted.

Latest Action: 12/11/2007 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Bill Text
A bill to make a technical correction to section 119 of title 17, United States Code.

12/11/2007--Introduced.

Applies statutory license requirements to secondary transmissions by a satellite carrier to subscribers in certain counties of primary transmissions of a network station located in a state in which there are located four such counties that, on January 1, 2004, had a specified combined number of television households and that were in local markets principally comprised of counties in another state, if the satellite carrier or any cable operator was making such secondary transmissions to any subscribers in such a county on that date.

Latest Action: 12/06/2007 - Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Bill Text
To amend the Communications Act of 1934, and increase consumer freedom of choice in the video marketplace.

12/6/2007--Introduced.

Consumer Freedom of Choice in Cable Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to remove provisions authorizing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), when cable systems with at least 36 channels are available to 70% of U.S. households and are subscribed to by 70% of households to which such systems are available (sometimes referred to as the 70/70 rule), to promulgate additional rules necessary to provide diversity of information sources.

Latest Action: 06/11/2008 - Indefinitely postponed by Senate by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5530)

Bill Text
A bill to authorize certain programs and activities in the Department of the Interior, the Forest Service, and the Department of Energy, and to amend the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003, and for other purposes. 10/17/2007--Introduced. Natural Resource Projects and Programs Authorization Act of 2007 - Authorizes specified programs and activities in the Department of the Interior, the Forest Service, and the Department of Energy concerning, among other things, national monuments, conservation areas, resource protection, historic sites, national trails, national heritage areas, and the clean coal power initiative. Makes amendments to various public laws, including the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Act, the National Trails System Act, the Steel Industry American Heritage Area Act of 1996, the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor [...]

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Latest Action: 11/08/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.

Bill Text
To improve public awareness in the United States among older individuals and their families and caregivers about the impending Digital Television Transition through the establishment of a Federal interagency taskforce between the Federal Communications Commission, the Administration on Aging, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and the outside advice of appropriate members of the aging network and industry groups. 10/16/2007--Introduced. Preparing America's Seniors for the Digital Transition Act of 2007 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), commencing not later than January 1, 2008, or 60 days after enactment, to enter into a partnership with the Administration on Aging and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to create a comprehensive nationwide public education campaign that provides information and assistance to older individuals to ensure that such individuals [...]

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Latest Action: 06/19/2008 - Subcommittee Hearings Held.

Bill Text
To amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to allow individuals called to military service to terminate telecommunications contracts entered into before the individual receives notice of a permanent change of station or deployment orders. 10/9/2007--Introduced. Servicemembers Telecom Contract Relief Act - Allows a person in military service to terminate a telecommunications contract for cellular phone service, cable or satellite television service, or internet service at any time after: (1) entry into military service; or (2) the date of the station or deployment orders. Requires for termination that: (1) the contract is executed by or on behalf of a person who thereafter and during the term of the contract enters military service (or receives order to enter military service) under an order specifying a period of not less than 90 days (or who enters military service under an order specifying a period of 90 days or less and who, without a break in service, receives [...]

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Latest Action: 10/02/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S12435)

Bill Text
A bill to improve public awareness in the United States among older individuals and their families and caregivers about the impending Digital Television Transition through the establishment of a Federal interagency taskforce between the Federal Communications Commission, the Administration on Aging, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and the outside advice of appropriate members of the aging network and industry groups. 10/2/2007--Introduced. Preparing America's Seniors for the Digital Television Transition of [sic] Act of 2007 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), commencing not later than January 1, 2008, or 60 days after enactment, to enter into a partnership with the Administration on Aging and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to create a comprehensive nationwide public education campaign that provides information and assistance to older individuals [...]

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Latest Action: 02/14/2008 - Subcommittee Hearings Held.

Bill Text
To prohibit discrimination in State taxation of multichannel video programming distribution services.

9/27/2007--Introduced.

State Video Tax Fairness Act of 2007 - Prohibits any state from imposing a direct or indirect tax that results in different charges being imposed on substantially equivalent multichannel video programming services based on the means by which those services are delivered, including Internet protocol (or any successor protocol), direct broadcast satellite delivery, and cable television services.

Latest Action: 10/12/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property.

Bill Text
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 with respect to retransmission consent and must-carry for cable operators and satellite carriers. 9/19/2007--Introduced. TV Consumer Freedom Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to allow any cable system or other multichannel video programming distributor to retransmit the signal of a broadcasting station, or any part thereof, only with the express authority of that station (thereby removing authority under current law for such retransmission in the case of the carriage of local television signals by satellite carriers and cable operators). Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to commence a rulemaking proceeding to revise regulations governing the exercise by broadcast stations of the right to grant such consent. Repeals federal provisions requiring cable operators to carry the signals of local commercial television stations and qualified noncommercial educational television stations. Terminates upon [...]

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Latest Action: 08/24/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Research and Science Education.

Bill Text
To bridge the digital divide in rural areas. 8/3/2007--Introduced. Rural America Digital Accessibility Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Commerce to make grants or guarantee loans in order to facilitate the deployment by the private sector of broadband telecommunications networks and capabilities (including wireless and satellite services) to underserved rural areas. Limits to $100 million the total amount of such grants and loan guarantees.Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation to research the enhancement or facilitation of broadband telecommunications services in rural and other remote areas, as well as Internet access through such services. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide a tax credit to holders of qualified technology bonds (bonds representing an investment in projects to expand such telecommunications services). Sets a national technology bond limitation of $100 million for each of FY 2007 through 2011, and zero thereafter (with an exception) [...]

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