Legislative Activity This Week’s Hearings: Tuesday, May 20: The House Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology will hold an oversight hearing on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is scheduled to testify. Thursday, May 22: The House Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade will hold a hearing on legislation to enhance … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity This Week’s Hearings And Meetings: Thursday, May 1: The House Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing titled “Telehealth to Digital Medicine: How 21st Century Technology Can Benefit Patients.” Thursday, May 1: The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a markup of the Patents Transparency and Improvements Act of 2013 (S. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Communications Subcommittee Approves STELA Reuthorization Bill Last Tuesday, March 25, the House Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology approved a bipartisan version of legislation to reauthorize the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act (STELA). The updated version leaves open the question of blocking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from adopting new rules … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Subcommittee Schedules Markup Of STELA Reauthorization Bill The House Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology has scheduled a markup of draft legislation to reauthorize the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act (STELA). The subcommittee will convene for opening statements on Monday, March 24 and will reconvene this Tuesday, March 25 to complete … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Passes Cell Phone Unlocking Bill Last Tuesday, February 25, the House passed the Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act (H.R. 1123). The legislation, introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), is intended to promote consumer choice and wireless competition by permitting consumers to unlock their mobile wireless devices without … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Proposed Merger Of Comcast And Time Warner Cable To Face Scrutiny On Thursday, February 13, Comcast announced its intent to acquire Time Warner Cable (TWC) in a $45 billion transaction that would combine the two largest cable companies in the country. The proposed acquisition, however, is expected to receive close scrutiny from the … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senators Introduce Data Breach Legislation Last Thursday, January 30, four Democratic senators introduced the Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2014, which would require the Federal Trade Commission to issue data security standards for companies that hold consumers’ personal and financial information. The bill also would implement requirements for the prompt notification … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Communications Act Update On January 15, the House Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology heard testimony from four former chairs of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), each of whom addressed a number of high-level legal and policy issues that Congress could consider as part of a review of … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Commerce Committee Members Introduce Video Policy Bills Last Thursday, December 12, two members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee introduced video reform legislation that would eliminate or reform a number of provisions in current law governing video policy. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) introduced the Next Generation Television Marketplace Act (H.R. 3720), … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Commerce Committee Announces Process For Communications Act Update Last Tuesday, December 3, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s top two leaders on communications and technology issues announced the committee will begin a comprehensive process to update the Communications Act of 1934 between 2014 and 2015. Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Subcommittee on … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Do Not Track Kids Act Of 2013 Introduced Last Thursday, November 14, the Do Not Track Kids Act of 2013 (S. 1700 and H.R. 3481) was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL), and in the House by Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) and Rep. Bobby Rush … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Commerce Committee Holds Hearing On Patent Demand Letters Last Thursday, November 7, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held a hearing titled “Demand Letters and Consumer Protection: Examining Deceptive Practices by Patent Assertion Entities.” Committee members heard testimony from the attorney general of Nebraska and various stakeholders from the technology industry. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Confirms FCC Nominees Last Tuesday, October 29, the Senate unanimously confirmed the nominations of Tom Wheeler to become chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Michael O’Rielly to fill the empty Republican seat on the commission. The Senate vote followed Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) decision to lift his hold on Wheeler’s … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Rep. Goodlatte Introduces Patent Litigation Reform Bill Last Wednesday, October 23, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) introduced the Innovation Act (H.R. 3309), intended to curtail abusive patent litigation while fostering U.S. competitiveness. The bill has received bipartisan support from cosponsors including Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and is scheduled for a hearing … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Sen. Cruz Blocks Confirmation of FCC Chairman Last Wednesday, October 16, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) blocked an expected Senate vote on the nomination of Tom Wheeler to become the next chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Sen. Cruz held up the nomination over questions regarding Wheeler’s views on the FCC’s power to … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Privacy Working Group Holds Closed Door Meeting The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Privacy Working Group held a closed-door roundtable meeting last Thursday, September 26. The working group is co-chaired by Committee Vice Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT), and provides a forum to evaluate privacy policy issues so committee members … Continue Reading
Legislative and Regulatory Activity FCC Process Reform Legislation In less than 10 minutes, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology favorably reported the committee prints for the “FCC Process Reform Act of 2013” and “FCC Consolidated Reporting Act of 2013,” each by voice vote. Perhaps more noteworthy, however, Chairman Greg Walden … Continue Reading
Legislative and Regulatory Activity E-rate Modernization The FCC adopted a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) during its Open Meeting on July 19, seeking comment on rules to update and modernize the E-rate program in order to support high-speed broadband for digital educational technology in classrooms and libraries. FCC staff indicated that they have three goals … Continue Reading
Legislative and Regulatory Activity Broadcast Incentive Auction Hearing. The U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee is reportedly planning a July 23 hearing to review Federal Communications Commission (FCC) progress on the broadcast incentive auctions mandated by the JOBS Act. The Committee has not publicly announced the hearing and the date is still tentative. Rural Broadband … Continue Reading
Legislative and Regulatory Activity Privacy The World Wide Consortium (W3C), which has led the multistakeholder effort to establish a universal Do Not Track (DNT) standard, will reach its last call deadline next Monday, July 1. In an email to members of the working group last week, W3C co-chairs Peter Swire and Matthias Schunter pledged to … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Wheeler Hearing The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will hold a hearing on Tuesday, June 18 on the nomination of Mr. Thomas Wheeler to be Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller’s decision to move forward without a Republican nominee to fill the other vacancy on the … Continue Reading
