IB 

Union Calendar No. 339 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4596 

[Report No. 114–444] 

To ensure that small business providers of broadband Internet access service 

can devote resources to broadband deployment rather than compliance 

with cumbersome regulatory requirements. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 24, 2016 

Mr. WALDEN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce 

MARCH 7, 2016 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on February 24, 2016] 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 4596 RH

A BILL 

To ensure that small business providers of broadband Internet access service can devote resources to broadband 

deployment rather than compliance with cumbersome 

regulatory requirements. 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 4596 RH

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Small Business 

5 Broadband Deployment Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. EXCEPTION TO ENHANCEMENT TO TRANSPARENCY 

7 REQUIREMENTS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The enhancements to the trans9 parency rule of the Federal Communications Commission 

10 under section 8.3 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, 

11 as described in paragraphs 162 through 184 of the Report 

12 and Order on Remand, Declaratory Ruling, and Order of 

13 the Federal Communications Commission with regard to 

14 protecting and promoting the open Internet (adopted Feb15 ruary 26, 2015) (FCC 15–24), shall not apply to any small 

16 business. 

17 (b) SUNSET.—Subsection (a) shall not have any force 

18 or effect after the date that is 5 years after the date of the 

19 enactment of this Act. 

20 (c) REPORT BY FCC.—Not later than 180 days after 

21 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Commu22 nications Commission shall submit to the Committee on 

23 Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and 

24 the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

25 of the Senate a report that contains the recommendations 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 4596 RH

1 of the Commission (and data supporting such recommenda2 tions) regarding— 

3 (1) whether the exception provided by subsection 

4 (a) should be made permanent; and 

5 (2) whether the definition of the term ‘‘small 

6 business’’ for purposes of such exception should be 

7 modified from the definition in subsection (d)(2). 

8 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

9 (1) BROADBAND INTERNET ACCESS SERVICE.— 

10 The term ‘‘broadband Internet access service’’ has the 

11 meaning given such term in section 8.2 of title 47, 

12 Code of Federal Regulations. 

13 (2) SMALL BUSINESS.—The term ‘‘small busi14 ness’’ means any provider of broadband Internet ac15 cess service that has not more than 250,000 sub16 scribers. 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS

srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 339 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4596 

[Report No. 114–444] 

A BILL 

To ensure that small business providers of 

ments. compliance with cumbersome regulatory requiresources to broadband deployment rather than broadband Internet access service can devote reMARCH 7, 2016 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


srobinson on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with BILLS