II 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3242 

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

for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 10 (legislative day, JULY 9), 2008 

Mrs. LINCOLN (for herself and Mr. ROBERTS) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To suspend temporarily the duty on digital-to-analog 

converter boxes, 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 ‘‘Digital Television 

5 Transition Consumer Relief Act of 2008’’. 

6 SEC. 2. TEMPORARY DUTY SUSPENSION AND RELIQUIDA7 TION OF CERTAIN DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CON8 VERTER BOXES AND TELEVISION TUNERS. 

9 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 


erowe on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
2 

•S 3242 IS

1 (1) The Digital Television Transition and Pub2 lic Safety Act of 2005 (Public Law 109–171) pro3 vided that all full power television broadcasts be 

4 switched to digital format on February 17, 2009. 

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

6 do not subscribe to cable or satellite television serv7 ice and millions more have untethered television sets 

8 that only receive over-the-air signals. 

9 (3) Upon the conversion to the digital format 

10 mandated by Congress, these households will no 

11 longer receive any television signal unless they are 

12 equipped with digital-to-analog converters. 

13 (4) Low and middle income families, rural resi14 dents, American Indians, senior citizens, the 

15 infirmed and the physically and mentally impaired 

16 are less likely to own television sets capable of re17 ceiving a digital signal without the purchase of dig18 ital-to-analog converters. 

19 (5) The conversion to an all digital format 

20 should not place an unfair economic burden on those 

21 families of the United States least able to afford it. 

22 (6) The U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

23 agency is collecting an import tax, or duty, on con24 verter boxes, which adds to the costs of converting 

25 to receiving a digital signal. 


erowe on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
3 

•S 3242 IS

1 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con2 gress that the costs to convert to an all digital format 

3 should be affordable for all people of the United States, 

4 and especially those of lower incomes. 

5 (c) DEFINITION OF DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CON6 VERTER BOX.—The U.S. Notes at the beginning of sub7 chapter II of chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Sched8 ule of the United States is amended by adding at the end 

9 the following: 

10 ‘‘20. For purposes of headings 9902.85.28 and 

11 9902.85.29, the term ‘digital-to-analog converter box’ 

12 means a stand-alone device that does not contain features 

13 or functions except those necessary to enable a consumer 

14 to convert any channel broadcast in the digital television 

15 service into a format that the consumer can display on 

16 television receivers designed to receive and display signals 

17 only in the analog television service, but may also include 

18 a remote control device.’’. 

19 (d) TEMPORARY DUTY SUSPENSIONS.— 

20 (1) DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER BOXES.— 

21 Subchapter II of chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tar22 iff Schedule of the United States is amended by in23 serting in numerical sequence the following new 

24 heading: 


erowe on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
4 

•S 3242 IS

‘‘ 9902.85.28 Digital-to-analog converter 

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

12/31/2009 ’’. 

1 (2) CERTAIN TELEVISION TUNERS.—Such sub2 chapter is further amended by inserting in numerical 

3 sequence the following new heading: 

‘‘ 9902.85.29 Television tuners used in the 

United States assembly of 

digital-to-analog converter 

boxes (provided for in subheading 8529.90.29) ............. Free No change No change On or before 

12/31/2009 ’’. 

4 (e) RETROACTIVE EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amend5 ments made by subsection (d) apply to goods entered, or 

6 withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 

7 December 1, 2007. 

8 (f) RELIQUIDATION OF ENTRIES.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 514 

10 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. 1514) or any 

11 other provision of law and subject to the provisions 

12 of paragraph (2), the U.S. Customs and Border Pro13 tection shall, not later than 90 days after the receipt 

14 of a request described in paragraph (2), liquidate or 

15 reliquidate as applicable any entry described in para16 graph (4) at the applicable rate under subchapter II 

17 of chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of 

18 the United States, as amended by subsection (d). 

19 (2) REQUESTS.—Liquidation or reliquidation 

20 may be made under paragraph (1) with respect to 

21 an entry described in paragraph (4) only if— 


erowe on PROD1PC71 with BILLS
5 

•S 3242 IS

1 (A) a request therefore is filed with U.S. 

2 Customs and Border Protection not later than 

3 90 days after the date of the enactment of this 

4 Act; and 

5 (B) the request contains sufficient infor6 mation to enable U.S. Customs and Border 

7 Protection to locate the entry or reconciliation 

8 entry if it cannot be located. 

9 (3) PAYMENT OF AMOUNTS OWED.—Any 

10 amounts owed by the United States pursuant to the 

11 liquidation or reliquidation of any entry under para12 graph (1) shall be paid, with interest, not later than 

13 180 days after the date of such liquidation or re14 liquidation. 

15 (4) ENTRIES DESCRIBED.—The entries referred 

16 to in paragraph (1) are the entries, or withdrawals 

17 from warehouse for consumption, of goods to which 

18 duty-free treatment is provided by subsections (d) 

19 and (e)— 

20 (A) that was made on or after December 

21 1, 2007; and 

22 (B) with respect to which there would have 

23 been no duty if subsection (d) of this Act had 

24 applied to such entry or withdrawal. 

Æ 


erowe on PROD1PC71 with BILLS