115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 645 

AN ACT 

To require the Secretary of Commerce to conduct an assessment and analysis of the effects of broadband deployment 

and adoption on the economy of the United States, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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†S 645 ES

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Measuring the Eco3 nomic Impact of Broadband Act of 2018’’. 

4 SEC. 2. ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS REGARDING THE EF5 FECT OF THE DIGITAL ECONOMY ON THE 

6 ECONOMY OF THE UNITED STATES. 

7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

8 (1) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON9 GRESS.—The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Con10 gress’’ means— 

11 (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

12 and Transportation of the Senate; 

13 (B) the Committee on Environment and 

14 Public Works of the Senate; 

15 (C) the Committee on Small Business and 

16 Entrepreneurship of the Senate; 

17 (D) the Committee on Energy and Com18 merce of the House of Representatives; 

19 (E) the Committee on Transportation and 

20 Infrastructure of the House of Representatives; 

21 and 

22 (F) the Committee on Small Business of 

23 the House of Representatives. 

24 (2) ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Assist25 ant Secretary’’ means the Assistant Secretary of 

26 Commerce for Communications and Information. 
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1 (3) BROADBAND.—The term ‘‘broadband’’ 

2 means an Internet Protocol-based transmission serv3 ice that enables users to send and receive voice, 

4 video, data, or graphics, or a combination of those 

5 items. 

6 (4) DIGITAL ECONOMY.— 

7 (A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subpara8 graph (B), the term ‘‘digital economy’’ has the 

9 meaning given the term by the Secretary in car10 rying out this section. 

11 (B) CONSIDERATIONS.—In establishing a 

12 definition for the term ‘‘digital economy’’ under 

13 subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall con14 sider— 

15 (i) the digital-enabling infrastructure 

16 that a computer network needs to exist 

17 and operate; and 

18 (ii) the roles of e-commerce and dig19 ital media. 

20 (5) DIGITAL MEDIA.—The term ‘‘digital media’’ 

21 means the content that participants in e-commerce 

22 create and access. 

23 (6) E-COMMERCE.—The term ‘‘e-commerce’’ 

24 means the digital transactions that take place using 

25 the infrastructure described in paragraph (4)(B)(i). 
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1 (7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

2 the Secretary of Commerce. 

3 (b) BIENNIAL ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS RE4 QUIRED.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enact5 ment of this Act, and biennially thereafter, the Secretary, 

6 in consultation with the Director of the Bureau of Eco7 nomic Analysis of the Department of Commerce and the 

8 Assistant Secretary, shall conduct an assessment and 

9 analysis regarding the contribution of the digital economy 

10 to the economy of the United States. 

11 (c) CONSIDERATIONS AND CONSULTATION.—In con12 ducting each assessment and analysis required under sub13 section (b), the Secretary shall— 

14 (1) consider the impact of— 

15 (A) the deployment and adoption of— 

16 (i) digital-enabling infrastructure; and 

17 (ii) broadband; 

18 (B) e-commerce and platform-enabled 

19 peer-to-peer commerce; and 

20 (C) the production and consumption of 

21 digital media, including free media; and 

22 (2) consult with— 

23 (A) the heads of any agencies and offices 

24 of the Federal Government as the Secretary 

25 considers appropriate, including the Secretary 
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1 of Agriculture, the Commissioner of the Bureau 

2 of Labor Statistics, the Administrator of the 

3 Small Business Administration, and the Federal 

4 Communications Commission; 

5 (B) representatives of the business commu6 nity, including rural and urban Internet service 

7 providers and telecommunications infrastruc8 ture providers; 

9 (C) representatives from State, local, and 

10 tribal government agencies; and 

11 (D) representatives from consumer and 

12 community organizations. 

13 (d) REPORT.—The Secretary shall submit to the ap14 propriate committees of Congress a report regarding the 

15 findings of the Secretary with respect to each assessment 

16 and analysis conducted under subsection (b). 

Passed the Senate December 13, 2018. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 
115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 645 

AN ACT 

To require the Secretary of Commerce to conduct 

poses. omy of the United States, and for other purbroadband deployment and adoption on the econan assessment and analysis of the effects of