Legislative Activity STELA Reauthorization Act Passes House and Senate On November 19, the House approved H.R. 5728, the STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014, which will ensure that 1.5 million satellite television subscribers continue to receive distant broadcast network television signals. The Senate approved the legislation on November 20, 2014, and President Obama signed it into … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Election Brings Changes to Senate Commerce Committee With Republicans winning a majority in the Senate for the 114th Congress and the departure of key lawmakers, there will be changes on the Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee. Sen. John Thune (R-SD) will assume the chairmanship of the committee. With Sen. John D. Rockefeller … Continue Reading
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 DATA Act Of 2014 Introduced Last Friday, April 4, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) and Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) introduced the bipartisan DATA Act of 2014 (H.R. 4400). The legislation would require commercial entities that own or possess consumers’ personal information to implement information security policies and procedures in compliance with Federal Trade Commission … 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 Congress And FCC Consider Joint Sales Agreements And Retransmission Consent Last Thursday, March 6, Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR), chairman of the House Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, released the first discussion draft of legislation to reauthorize the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act (STELA), which contains provisions set to expire on December 31, 2014. … 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 Net Neutrality Legislation Introduced Last Monday, February 3, Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) introduced the Open Internet Preservation Act of 2014 (S. 1981 and H.R. 3982). The legislation would restore the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) “net neutrality” rules, which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia … 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
Regulatory Activity D.C. Circuit Upholds Sunset Of FCC’s “Viewability Rule” On December 27, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit released a decision upholding the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) authority to sunset its dual carriage “viewability rule.” The rule, adopted in 2007, required “hybrid” cable operators – those that provide both … 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 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 Activity Senate Commerce Committee Evaluates FCC and FTC Nominees The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation held a hearing on Wednesday, September 18 to consider the nominations of Michael O’Rielly to serve as a Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Terrell McSweeny to serve as a Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Retransmission Consent and Television Blackouts Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) circulated draft legislation entitled the Video CHOICE (Consumers Have Options in Choosing Entertainment) Act, which intends “to eliminate television blackouts caused by retransmission consent disputes,” among other policy goals. Permanent Extension of Internet Tax Freedom Act Introduced House Judiciary Committee Chairman Goodlatte (R-VA) introduced … 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
