I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7364 

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to preserve cable franchising 

authority, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 25, 2020 

Mr. LONG introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to preserve 

cable franchising authority, 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 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Cable Access for 

5 Broadband and Local Economic Leadership Act’’ or the 

6 ‘‘CABLE Leadership Act’’. 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 7364 IH

1 SEC. 2. PRESERVATION OF CABLE FRANCHISING AUTHOR2 ITY. 

3 Section 621 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 

4 U.S.C. 541) is amended by adding at the end the fol5 lowing: 

6 ‘‘(g) TIMING OF DECISIONS ON REQUESTS FOR

7 FRANCHISES AND OTHER AUTHORIZATIONS.— 

8 ‘‘(1) REQUEST FOR NEW FRANCHISE.—Not 

9 later than 120 days after the date on which a fran10 chising authority receives a complete request for the 

11 grant of a franchise (other than a renewal thereof), 

12 the franchising authority shall approve or deny such 

13 request. 

14 ‘‘(2) NONEMERGENCY REQUESTS.— 

15 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 

16 days after a franchising authority receives a 

17 complete nonemergency request, as determined 

18 by the Commission, from a cable operator for 

19 authorization to modify or upgrade a cable sys20 tem or facilities for the cable system, the fran21 chising authority shall grant or deny such re22 quest. 

23 ‘‘(B) DENIAL OF NONEMERGENCY RE24 QUEST.—Any decision by a franchising author25 ity to deny a nonemergency request described 

26 under subparagraph (A) shall be— 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 7364 IH

1 ‘‘(i) in writing; 

2 ‘‘(ii) supported by substantial evidence 

3 contained in a written record; and 

4 ‘‘(iii) publicly released, contempora5 neously with the decision. 

6 ‘‘(3) DEEMED GRANTS.— 

7 ‘‘(A) DEEMED GRANT OF NEW FRAN8 CHISE.—If the franchising authority does not 

9 grant or deny a request under paragraph (1) by 

10 the day after the date on which the time period 

11 ends under such paragraph, such request shall 

12 be deemed granted on such day. 

13 ‘‘(B) DEEMED GRANT OF NONEMERGENCY

14 REQUEST.—If franchising authority does not 

15 grant or deny such request by the day after the 

16 date on which the time period ends under such 

17 paragraph or denies such request, but fails to 

18 comply with paragraph (2)(B) with respect to 

19 the denial, such request shall be deemed grant20 ed on such day. 

21 ‘‘(4) WHEN REQUEST CONSIDERED COMPLETE; 

22 RECEIVED.—For the purposes of this subsection, a 

23 request under this subsection shall be considered— 

24 ‘‘(A) complete if— 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 7364 IH

1 ‘‘(i) the cable operator makes the re2 quest by submitting to the franchising au3 thority the form required to be used for 

4 making the request; 

5 ‘‘(ii) the form submitted contains all 

6 of the information specified by the form as 

7 being required to be included in form; and 

8 ‘‘(iii) the cable operator has not re9 ceived a written notice from the fran10 chising authority within 10 business days 

11 after the date on which the request is re12 ceived by the franchising authority— 

13 ‘‘(I) stating that the form does 

14 not contain all of the information re15 quired to be included in the form; and 

16 ‘‘(II) identifying the information 

17 required to be included in the form 

18 that was not included; and 

19 ‘‘(B) received by the franchising author20 ity— 

21 ‘‘(i) in the case of a request submitted 

22 electronically, on the date on which the 

23 form required to be used for making the 

24 request is transmitted; 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 7364 IH

1 ‘‘(ii) in the case of a request sub2 mitted in person, on the date on which the 

3 form required to be used for making the 

4 request is delivered to the individual or at 

5 the location specified in the form for in6 person submission; and 

7 ‘‘(iii) in the case of a request sub8 mitted in any other manner, on the date 

9 determined by the franchising authority for 

10 the manner in which the request is made.’’. 

Æ 


pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS