Small Business Broadband Deployment Act of 2016

To ensure that small business providers of broadband Internet access service can devote resources to broadband deployment rather than compliance with cumbersome regulatory requirements. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Small Business Broadband Deployment Act of 2015 2. Exception to enhancement to transparency requirements for small businesses (a) Definitions In this Act— (1) the term broadband Internet access service (A) means a mass-market retail service by wire or radio that provides the capability to transmit data to and receive data from all or substantially all Internet endpoints, including any capability that is incidental to and enables the operation of the communications service; and (B) does not include dial-up Internet access service; and (2) the term small business (A) 1,500 employees; or (B) 500,000 subscribers. (b) Exception for small businesses The enhancements to the transparency rule of the Federal Communications Commission under section 8.3 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, as described in paragraphs 162 through 184 of the Report and Order on Remand, Declaratory Ruling, and Order of the Federal Communications Commission with regard to protecting and promoting the open Internet (adopted February 26, 2015) (FCC 15–24), shall not apply to any small business. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Small Business Broadband Deployment Act of 2016 2. Small business exemption (a) Definitions In this section— (1) the term appropriate congressional committees (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate; and (B) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives; (2) the term broadband Internet access service (3) the term Commission (4) the term small business (b) Exception for small businesses The enhancements to the transparency rule of the Commission under section 8.3 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, as described in paragraphs 162 through 184 of the Report and Order on Remand, Declaratory Ruling, and Order of the Commission with regard to protecting and promoting the open Internet (adopted by the Commission on February 26, 2015) (FCC 15–24), shall not apply to any small business. (c) Report by FCC Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that contains the recommendations of the Commission, and data supporting those recommendations, regarding— (1) whether the exception provided by subsection (b) should be made permanent; and (2) whether the definition of the term small business (d) Rulemaking Not later than 180 days after the date on which Commission submits the report under subsection (c), the Commission shall commence a rulemaking proceeding to implement the recommendations in that report. (e) Sunset Subsection (b) shall have no force or effect after the later of the date— (1) that is 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act; or (2) on which the Commission adopts rules in the proceeding required under subsection (d). December 6, 2016 Reported with an amendment

Summary: Small Business Broadband Deployment Act of 2016 (Sec. 2) This bill exempts any small business broadband Internet access service provider with not more than 250,000 subscribers from the enhancements to the transparency rule of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under which any person providing broadband Internet access service must disclose publicly accurate information regarding the network management practices, performance, and commercial terms of its broadband Internet access services sufficient for: consumers to make informed choices regarding their use; and content, application, service, and device providers to develop, market, and maintain Internet offerings. The FCC shall: report to Congress, within 180 days of enactment of this bill, its recommendations (including supporting data) on whether the exception should be made permanent, and whether the definition of &quot;small business,&quot; for purposes of the exception, should be modified; and within 180 days after such report, commence a rulemaking proceeding to implement the recommendations. This small business exception shall terminate after the later of: (1) three years after enactment of this bill; or (2) the date on which the FCC adopts rules in its rulemaking proceeding for implementing its recommendations.