I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 226 

To prevent the Federal Communications Commission from repromulgating 

the fairness doctrine. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 7, 2009 

Mr. PENCE (for himself, Mr. WALDEN, Mr. UPTON, Mr. BOEHNER, Mr. CANTOR, Mr. MCCARTHY of California, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mrs. MCMORRIS

RODGERS, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. DREIER, Mr. CARTER, Mr. PRICE of Georgia, Mr. HENSARLING, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. AKIN, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. 

AUSTRIA, Mr. BACHUS, Mr. BARTLETT, Mr. BARTON of Texas, Mr. 

BILBRAY, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. 

BLUNT, Mr. BONNER, Mrs. BONO MACK, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. BOUSTANY, 

Mr. BRADY of Texas, Mr. BROUN of Georgia, Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE

of Florida, Mr. BUCHANAN, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. 

CALVERT, Mr. CAMP, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mr. CHAFFETZ, Mr. COBLE, Mr. 

COLE, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. CRENSHAW, Mr. CULBERSON, Mr. DAVIS of 

Kentucky, Mr. DEAL of Georgia, Mr. LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART of Florida, 

Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida, Ms. FALLIN, Mr. FLAKE, Mr. 

FORBES, Ms. FOXX, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. GALLEGLY, Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey, Mr. GERLACH, Mr. GINGREY of Georgia, Mr. 

GOHMERT, Mr. GOODLATTE, Ms. GRANGER, Mr. GRAVES, Mr. GUTHRIE, 

Mr. HALL of Texas, Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, Mr. HELLER, Mr. 

HERGER, Mr. HOEKSTRA, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. INGLIS, Mr. SAM JOHNSON

of Texas, Mr. JOHNSON of Illinois, Mr. JONES, Mr. JORDAN of Ohio, Mr. 

KINGSTON, Mr. KIRK, Mr. KLINE of Minnesota, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. 

LATTA, Mr. LEWIS of California, Mr. LINDER, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. 

LUCAS, Ms. LUMMIS, Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California, Mr. MACK, 

Mr. MANZULLO, Mr. MARCHANT, Mr. MCCAUL, Mr. MCCLINTOCK, Mr. 

MCHENRY, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. MCKEON, Mr. MICA, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mrs. MILLER of Michigan, Mr. MORAN of Kansas, Mr. TIM MURPHY

of Pennsylvania, Mr. PAUL, Mr. PETRI, Mr. PITTS, Mr. PLATTS, Mr. 

POSEY, Mr. PUTNAM, Mr. REHBERG, Mr. REICHERT, Mr. ROYCE, Mr. 

ROHRABACHER, Mr. SCALISE, Mrs. SCHMIDT, Mr. SCHOCK, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. SHADEGG, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. SHUSTER, Mr. SIMPSON, 

Mr. SMITH of Nebraska, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. SMITH of Texas, 

Mr. SOUDER, Mr. STEARNS, Mr. SULLIVAN, Mr. TERRY, Mr. THOMPSON

of California, Mr. TIAHRT, Mr. TIBERI, Mr. WAMP, Mr. WESTMORELAND, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, and Mr. WOLF) introduced the folVerDate Nov 24 2008 04:31 Jan 10, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H226.IH H226

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•HR 226 IH

lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To prevent the Federal Communications Commission from 

repromulgating the fairness doctrine. 

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 ‘‘Broadcaster Freedom 

5 Act of 2009’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FAIRNESS DOCTRINE PROHIBITED. 

7 Title III of the Communications Act of 1934 is 

8 amended by inserting after section 303 (47 U.S.C. 303) 

9 the following new section: 

10 ‘‘SEC. 303A. LIMITATION ON GENERAL POWERS: FAIRNESS 

11 DOCTRINE. 

12 ‘‘Notwithstanding section 303 or any other provision 

13 of this Act or any other Act authorizing the Commission 

14 to prescribe rules, regulations, policies, doctrines, stand15 ards, or other requirements, the Commission shall not 

16 have the authority to prescribe any rule, regulation, policy, 

17 doctrine, standard, or other requirement that has the pur18 pose or effect of reinstating or repromulgating (in whole 

19 or in part) the requirement that broadcasters present opVerDate Nov 24 2008 04:31 Jan 10, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H226.IH H226

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•HR 226 IH

1 posing viewpoints on controversial issues of public impor2 tance, commonly referred to as the ‘Fairness Doctrine’, 

3 as repealed in General Fairness Doctrine Obligations of 

4 Broadcast Licensees, 50 Fed. Reg. 35418 (1985).’’. 

Æ 


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