IB

Union Calendar No. 335

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 1291

[Report No. 106–615]

To prohibit the imposition of access charges on Internet service providers,

and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 25, 1999

Mr. UPTON (for himself, Mr. TAUZIN, Mr. OXLEY, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mr.

BILBRAY, Mr. ARMEY, Mr. EWING, Mr. POMBO, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr.

RAHALL, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. DICKEY, Mr. WELLER, Mr. MICA, Mr.

BLAGOJEVICH, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. REGULA, Mr. WOLF, Mr.

GOODE, Mr. MCINNIS, Mr. SHOWS, Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin, Mr. CANADY of Florida, Mr. FOLEY, Mr. LOBIONDO, Mr. GILCHREST, Mr.

KUYKENDALL, Mr. SHERMAN, Mr. CLYBURN, Mrs. EMERSON, Mr.

TANCREDO, Mr. DEAL of Georgia, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr.

STEARNS, Mrs. CUBIN, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Mr. STRICKLAND, Mr.

BLUNT, Mr. NETHERCUTT, Mr. LAZIO, Mr. PETERSON of Pennsylvania,

Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. KOLBE, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. BAKER,

Mrs. ROUKEMA, Mr. PACKARD, Mr. LINDER, Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. NORWOOD, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mr. OSE, Mr. CAMP, Mr. GOODLATTE, Mrs. KELLY, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. MASCARA, Mr. KLECZKA, Mr.

LIPINSKI, Mr. GILLMOR, Mr. RAMSTAD, Mr. BARCIA, and Mr. SCARBOROUGH) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce

MAY 12, 2000

Additional sponsors: Mr. BRYANT, Mr. WISE, Mr. LARGENT, Mr. FILNER, Mr.

FORBES, Mr. LUCAS of Kentucky, Mr. PICKERING, Mr. UNDERWOOD,

Mr. HOLT, Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey, Mr. WU, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr.

CASTLE, Mr. TAYLOR of North Carolina, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Ms.

DUNN, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mr. FLETCHER, Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. HOEKSTRA, Mrs. THURMAN, Mr. COLLINS, Mr. COMBEST, Mr. GARY MILLER

of California, Mr. KNOLLENBERG, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. COBURN, Mr.

GRAHAM, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Mr. EHLERS, Mr. ISAKSON, Ms.

PRYCE of Ohio, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mr. HOBSON, Mr. SMITH of Washington,
2

•HR 1291 RH

Mr. HORN, Mr. HILL of Montana, Mr. BARTON of Texas, Mr. MILLER

of Florida, Mr. BACHUS, Mr. DREIER, Mr. BORSKI, Mrs. FOWLER, Mr.

BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. TIAHRT, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. HALL of Texas,

Mr. EDWARDS, Mr. STUMP, Ms. RIVERS, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr.

LARSON, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. GREENWOOD, Mr. MCKEON, Mr. METCALF,

Mr. GUTKNECHT, Mr. RUSH, Mr. SWEENEY, Mr. SKELTON, Mr.

WEINER, Mr. ROGERS, Mr. HYDE, Mr. COOK, Mr. SANDLIN, Ms. ROSLEHTINEN, Mr. MALONEY of Connecticut, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr.

GALLEGLY, Mr. FOSSELLA, Mrs. WILSON, Mr. NUSSLE, Mr. PAUL, Ms.

GRANGER, Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin, Mr. EHRLICH, and Mr. MEEKS

of New York

MAY 12, 2000

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]

A BILL

To prohibit the imposition of access charges on Internet

service providers, 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 ‘‘Internet Access Charge

5 Prohibition Act of 1999’’.

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

7 It is the purpose of this Act to ensure that Internet

8 information services will continue to be deployed as rapidly

9 and efficiently to as many Americans as possible by pre10 venting the Federal Communications Commission from

11 applying interstate access charges to providers of Internet

12 services.
3

•HR 1291 RH

1 SEC. 3. PROHIBITION OF ACCESS CHARGES ON INTERNET

2 SERVICE PROVIDERS.

3 Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47

4 U.S.C. 254) is amended by adding at the end the following

5 new subsection:

6 ‘‘(l) PROHIBITION OF ACCESS CHARGES ON INTER7 NET SERVICE PROVIDERS.—Notwithstanding subsection

8 (b)(4) or (d) or any other provision of this section, the

9 Commission shall not impose on any interactive computer

10 service (as such term is defined in section 230(e)) or other

11 information service provider any access charge for the sup12 port of universal service that is based on a measure of

13 the time that telecommunications services are used in the

14 provision of such interactive computer service or informa15 tion service.’’.

16 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

17 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Internet Access Charge

18 Prohibition Act of 2000’’.

19 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION OF CHARGES ON PROVIDERS OF

20 INTERNET ACCESS SERVICE.

21 Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47

22 U.S.C. 254) is amended by adding at the end the following

23 new subsection:

24 ‘‘(l) PROHIBITION OF CHARGES ON INTERNET SERV25 ICE PROVIDERS.—
4

•HR 1291 RH

1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding subsection

2 (b)(4) or (d) or any other provision of this title, the

3 Commission shall not impose on any provider of

4 Internet access service (as such term is defined in sec5 tion 231(e)) any contribution for the support of uni6 versal service that is based on a measure of the time

7 that telecommunications services are used in the pro8 vision of such Internet access service.

9 ‘‘(2) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this

10 subsection shall preclude the Commission from impos11 ing access charges on the providers of Internet tele12 phone services, irrespective of the type of customer

13 premises equipment used in connection with such

14 services.’’.

Union Calendar No. 335

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 1291

[Report No. 106–615]

A BILL

To prohibit the imposition of access charges on

Internet service providers, and for other purposes.

MAY 12, 2000

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union,

and ordered to be printed