II 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1600 

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure full access to digital 

television in areas served by low-power television, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 29, 2005 

Ms. SNOWE (for herself and Mr. HATCH) introduced the following bill; which 

was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation 

A BILL 

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure full 

access to digital television in areas served by low-power 

television, 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, 

3 TITLE I—LOW-POWER 

4 TELEVISION 

5 SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE. 

6 This title may be cited as the ‘‘Digital Translator and 

7 Low-Power Television Transition Assistance Act’’. 
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1 SEC. 102. DEADLINE FOR CONVERSION OF TRANSLATOR 

2 STATIONS AND LOW-POWER ANALOG TELE3 VISION STATIONS. 

4 (a) DIGITAL TRANSITION PERIOD.—Section 

5 336(f)(4) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 

6 336(f)(4)) is amended by striking ‘‘such transition pe7 riod.’’ in the last sentence and inserting ‘‘4 years after 

8 the date beyond which a television broadcast license may 

9 not be renewed under section 309(j)(14) of this Act.’’. 

10 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 337(e)(1) 

11 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 337(e)(1)) 

12 is amended by striking ‘‘on which the digital television 

13 service transition period terminates, as determined by the 

14 Commission.’’ and inserting ‘‘that is 4 years after the date 

15 beyond which a television broadcast license may not be re16 newed under section 309(j)(14) of this Act.’’. 

17 SEC. 103. LOW-POWER DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION. 

18 (a) TRUST FUND.—There is established on the books 

19 of the Treasury a separate fund to be known as the ‘‘Low20 power Digital Television Transition Trust Fund’’, which 

21 shall be administered by the Assistant Secretary of Com22 merce for Communications and Information. 

23 (b) SOURCE OF FUNDS.—Paragraph (8) of section 

24 309(j) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 

25 309(j)) is amended— 
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1 (1) by inserting ‘‘or subparagraph (D)’’ in sub2 paragraph (A) after ‘‘subparagraph (B)’’; and 

3 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub4 paragraph: 

5 ‘‘(D) DISPOSITION OF PROCEEDS FROM

6 AUCTION OF CHANNELS 52 THROUGH 69.—So 

7 much of the proceeds attributable to the auc8 tion of any eligible frequencies on the electro9 magnetic spectrum conducted after the date of 

10 enactment of the Low-Power Digital Television 

11 Transition Assistance Act as does not exceed 

12 $100,000,000, after the retention of revenues 

13 provided for in subparagraph (B), shall be de14 posited in the Low-power Digital Television 

15 Transition Trust Fund.’’. 

16 (c) GRANT PROGRAM.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary of 

18 Commerce for Communications and Information 

19 shall establish a program under which grants may 

20 be made by the National Telecommunications and 

21 Information Administration to eligible licensees of 

22 qualifying low-power television stations under section 

23 336 of the Communications Act of 1934, State and 

24 local governments, and community organizations for 

25 the purpose of— 
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1 (A) upgrading low-power television trans2 lator stations from analog to digital in eligible 

3 rural communities (as defined in section 

4 601(b)(2) of the Rural Electrification Act of 

5 1936 (7 U.S.C. 950bb(b)(2)) and other areas 

6 served by low-power television broadcast sta7 tions; and 

8 (B) extending digital television broadcast 

9 signals to unserved households (as defined sec10 tion 119(d)(10) of title 17, United States Code) 

11 located in such eligible rural communities and 

12 other areas. 

13 (2) APPLICATIONS AND CONDITIONS.—In con14 ducting the program, the Assistant Secretary— 

15 (A) shall establish a notification and appli16 cation procedure; 

17 (B) may establish such conditions, and re18 quire such assurances, as may be appropriate to 

19 ensure the efficiency and integrity of the grant 

20 program; and 

21 (C) may make grants under the program 

22 on a matching or nonmatching basis. 

23 (3) ELIGIBLE LICENSEES.—In this subsection, 

24 the term ‘‘eligible licensee’’ means the licensee or 

25 permittee of a low-power television station licensee 
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1 or low-power television translator station as such 

2 terms as used in sections 336 and 337 of the Com3 munications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 336 and 337)). 

4 (4) REVERSION OF UNUSED FUNDS.—Any un5 obligated amounts in the Low-power Digital Tele6 vision Transition Fund remaining after the date on 

7 which the low-power digital television service transi8 tion period (as defined in section 336(i)(3) of the 

9 Communications Act of 1934) shall revert to and be 

10 deposited in the general fund of the Treasury. 

11 SEC. 104. FCC STATUS REPORT ON LOW-POWER TELE12 VISION AND TELEVISION TRANSLATOR STA13 TIONS. 

14 Within 6 months after the date of enactment of this 

15 Act, the Federal Communications Commission shall trans16 mit to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

17 Transportation and the House of Representatives Com18 mittee on Energy and Commerce and report and rec19 ommendations on the status of low-power television sta20 tions and low-power television translator stations. 

21 TITLE II—INTERNATIONAL 

22 COORDINATION 

23 SEC. 201. INTERNATIONAL COORDINATION STUDY. 

24 Beginning February 1, 2006, and ending when inter25 national coordination with Canada and Mexico of the DTV 
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1 table of allotments is complete, the Federal Communica2 tions Commission shall submit reports every 6 months on 

3 the status of that international coordination to the Senate 

4 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

5 and the House of Representatives Committee on Energy 

6 and Commerce. 

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