I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4024

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 with respect to retransmission 

consent and must-carry for cable operators and satellite carriers. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 24, 2004

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

on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 with respect 

to retransmission consent and must-carry for cable operators and satellite carriers.

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 ‘‘TV Consumer Free5 dom Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. RETRANSMISSION CONSENT. 

7 Section 325(b) of the Communications Act of 1934 

8 (47 U.S.C. 325(b)) is amended—

9 (1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the 

10 following: 
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1 ‘‘(b)(1) No cable system or other multichannel video 

2 programming distributor shall retransmit the signal of a 

3 broadcasting station, or any part thereof, except with the 

4 express authority of the station.’’; 

5 (2) in paragraph (3)—

6 (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and 

7 of the right to signal carriage under section 

8 614’’; 

9 (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘and 

10 the right to signal carriage under section 614’’; 

11 and 

12 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘(C) Within 45 days after the effective date of the 

14 TV Consumer Freedom Act, the Commission shall com15 mence a rulemaking proceeding to revise the regulations 

16 governing the exercise by television broadcast stations of 

17 the right to grant retransmission consent under this sub18 section. Such regulations shall establish election time peri19 ods that correspond with those regulations adopted under 

20 subparagraph (B). The rulemaking shall be completed 

21 within 180 days after the effective date of the TV Con22 sumer Freedom Act.’’; and 

23 (3) by striking paragraphs (4) and (5) and re24 designating paragraph (6) as paragraph (4). 
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1 SEC. 3. ELIMINATION OF MUST-CARRY REQUIREMENTS. 

2 (a) REPORT.—Sections 338, 614, and 615 of the 

3 Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 338, 534, and 

4 535) are repealed. 

5 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—

6 (1) Section 623(b)(7)(A) of the Communica7 tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 543(b)(7)(A)) is 

8 amended by striking clause (i) and redesignating 

9 clauses (ii) and (iii) as clauses (i) and (ii). 

10 (2) Section 635 of the Communications Act of 

11 1934 (47 U.S.C. 555) is amended by striking sub12 section (c). 

13 (3) Section 653 of the Communications Act of 

14 1934 (47 U.S.C. 573) is amended—

15 (A) in subsection (b)(1)(A), by striking 

16 ‘‘614, or 615,’’; and 

17 (B) in subsection (c)(1)(B), by striking 

18 ‘‘sections 611, 614, and 615’’ and inserting 

19 ‘‘section 611’’. 

20 (4) Section 336(b)(3) of the Communications 

21 Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 336(b)(3)) is amended by 

22 striking ‘‘have any rights to carriage under section 

23 614 or 615 or’’. 
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1 SEC. 4. TERMINATION OF MANDATES FOR TELEVISION FEA2 TURES AND FUNCTIONS. 

3 All regulations of the Federal Communications Com4 mission requiring television receivers sold in the United 

5 States to include particular types of features or functions, 

6 or specifying the technology to be used to provide such 

7 features or functions, shall cease to be effective on the 

8 date of enactment of this Act. 

9 SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

10 This Act and the amendments made by this Act shall 

11 take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.

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