I 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5635 

To suspend temporarily the duty on digital-to-analog converter boxes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 13, 2008 

Mr. KIND (for himself and Mr. BRADY of Texas) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 

A BILL 

To suspend temporarily the duty on digital-to-analog 

converter boxes. 

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 ‘‘Digital Television 

5 Transition Consumer Relief Act of 2008’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) The Digital Television and Public Safety 

9 Act of 2005 (Public Law 108–171) provided that all 

10 full power television broadcasts be switched to digital 

11 format on February 17, 2009. 


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1 (2) Nearly 20,000,000 United States consumers 

2 do not subscribe to cable or satellite television serv3 ice and millions more have untethered television sets 

4 that only receive over-the-air signals. 

5 (3) Upon the conversion to the digital format 

6 mandated by Congress, these households will no 

7 longer receive any television signal unless they are 

8 equipped with digital-to-analog converters. 

9 (4) Low and middle income families, rural resi10 dents, American Indians, senior citizens, the 

11 infirmed and the physically and mentally impaired 

12 are less likely to own television sets capable of re13 ceiving a digital signal without the purchase of dig14 ital-to-analog converters. 

15 (5) The conversion to an all digital format 

16 should not place an unfair economic burden on those 

17 American families least able to afford it. 

18 (6) It is the sense of Congress that the costs to 

19 convert to an all digital format should be lessened 

20 for all Americans, and especially those of lower in21 comes. 

22 (7) The United States Customs and Border 

23 Protection Agency is collecting an import tax, or 

24 duty, on converter boxes that adds to consumers 

25 costs to convert to receiving a digital signal. 


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1 SEC. 3. DEFINITION. 

2 For purposes of subchapter II of chapter 99 of the 

3 Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, the 

4 term ‘‘digital-to-analog converter box’’ means a stand5 alone device that does not contain features or functions 

6 except those necessary to enable a consumer to convert 

7 any channel broadcast in the digital television service into 

8 a format that the consumer can display on television re9 ceivers designed to receive and display signals only in the 

10 analog television service, but may also include a remote 

11 control device. 

12 SEC. 4. TEMPORARY DUTY SUSPENSION. 

13 Subchapter II of chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tar14 iff Schedule of the United States is amended by inserting 

15 in numerical sequence the following new heading: 

‘‘ 9902.xx.xx Digital-to-analog converter 

boxes (provided for in subheading 8528.71.40) ............. Free No change No change On or before 

12/31/2009 ’’. 

16 SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE; REFUND OF CUSTOMS DUTIES 

17 PAID. 

18 (a) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Subsequent to the enactment 

19 of this Act, the amendment made by section 4 applies to 

20 goods entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consump21 tion, on or after December 1, 2007. 

22 (b) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 514 of 

23 the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1514) or any other proVerDate Aug 31 2005 01:35 Mar 15, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5635.IH H5635

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1 vision of law, upon proper request filed with the Bureau 

2 of Customs and Border Protection before the 90th day 

3 after the date of the enactment of this Act, any entry, 

4 or withdrawal from warehouse for consumption, of any 

5 goods to which duty-free treatment is provided under sec6 tion 4 of this Act— 

7 (1) that was made on or after December 1, 

8 2007, and 

9 (2) with respect to which there would have been 

10 no duty if section 4 of this Act applied to such entry 

11 or withdrawal, 

12 shall be liquidated or reliquidated as though such Act ap13 plied to such entry or withdrawal. 

14 (c) REQUESTS.—Liquidation or reliquidation may be 

15 made under subsection (b) with respect to an entry de16 scribed in subsection (a) only if a request therefore is filed 

17 with the Customs and Border Protection within 90 days 

18 after the date of enactment of this Act and the request 

19 contains sufficient information to enable Customs and 

20 Border Protection to locate the entry or reconciliation 

21 entry if it cannot be located. 

22 (d) PAYMENT OF AMOUNTS OWED.—Any amounts 

23 owed by the United States pursuant to the liquidation or 

24 reliquidation of any entry under subsection (b) shall be 


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1 paid, with interest, not later than 180 days after the date 

2 of such liquidation or reliquidation. 

Æ 


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