I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3287 
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to preserve cable franchising 
authority, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 15, 2023 
Mr. BALDERSON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to preserve 
cable franchising authority, and for other purposes. 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Cable Access for 
Broadband and Local Economic Leadership Act’’ or the 
‘‘CABLE Leadership Act’’. 
SEC. 2. REQUEST FOR NEW FRANCHISE. 
Section 621 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 541) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(g) TIMING OF DECISION ON REQUEST FOR FRAN-
CHISE.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:17 May 27, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3287.IH
H3287
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days 
after the date on which a franchising authority re-
ceives a complete request for the grant of a fran-
chise (other than a renewal thereof), the franchising 
authority shall approve or deny such request. 
‘‘(2) DEEMED GRANT OF NEW FRANCHISE.—If 
the franchising authority does not approve or deny 
a request under paragraph (1) by the day after the 
date on which the time period ends under such para-
graph, such request shall be deemed granted on such 
day. 
‘‘(3) 
APPLICABILITY.—Notwithstanding 
any 
provision of this title, the timeframe under para-
graph (1) shall apply collectively to all proceedings 
required by a franchising authority for the approval 
of the request. 
‘‘(4) NO TOLLING.—The timeframe under para-
graph (1) may not be tolled by any moratorium, 
whether express or de facto, imposed by a fran-
chising authority on the consideration of any request 
for a franchise. 
‘‘(5) WRITTEN DECISION AND RECORD.—Any 
decision by a franchising authority to deny a com-
plete request for a franchise shall be— 
‘‘(A) in writing; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:17 May 27, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3287.IH
H3287
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
‘‘(B) supported by substantial evidence 
contained in a written record; and 
‘‘(C) publicly released, and provided to the 
requesting party, on the same day such decision 
is made. 
‘‘(6) WHEN REQUEST CONSIDERED COMPLETE; 
RECEIVED.— 
‘‘(A) WHEN REQUEST CONSIDERED COM-
PLETE.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—For the purposes 
of this subsection, a request to a fran-
chising authority shall be considered com-
plete if the requesting party— 
‘‘(I) has taken the first proce-
dural step within the control of the re-
questing party that the franchising 
authority requires as part of the proc-
ess of the franchising authority for re-
viewing requests related to franchises; 
and 
‘‘(II) has not received a written 
notice from the franchising authority 
within 30 days after the date on 
which the request is received by the 
franchising authority— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:17 May 27, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3287.IH
H3287
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
‘‘(aa) stating that all the in-
formation (including any form or 
other document) required by the 
franchising authority to be sub-
mitted for the request to be con-
sidered complete, has not been 
submitted; 
‘‘(bb) identifying the infor-
mation required to be submitted 
that was not submitted; and 
‘‘(cc) that includes a citation 
to a specific provision of a pub-
licly available rule, regulation, or 
standard issued by the fran-
chising authority requiring that 
the information be submitted 
with such a request. 
‘‘(ii) DEFINITION.—In this subpara-
graph, the term ‘the date on which the re-
quest is received by the franchising author-
ity’ means— 
‘‘(I) in the case of a request sub-
mitted electronically, the date on 
which the request is transmitted; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:17 May 27, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3287.IH
H3287
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
‘‘(II) in the case of a request 
submitted in person, the date on 
which the request is delivered to the 
individual or at the location specified 
by franchising authority for in-person 
submission; and 
‘‘(III) in the case of a request 
submitted in any other manner, the 
date determined under regulations 
promulgated by the Commission for 
the manner in which the request is 
submitted. 
‘‘(B) WHEN COMPLETE REQUEST CONSID-
ERED
RECEIVED.—For the purposes of this 
subsection, a complete request shall be consid-
ered received— 
‘‘(i) except as provided in clause (ii), 
on the date on which the requesting party 
submits to the franchising authority all in-
formation (including any form or other 
document) required by the franchising au-
thority to be submitted for the request to 
be considered complete; or 
‘‘(ii) in the case of a request with re-
spect to which all such information is not 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:17 May 27, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3287.IH
H3287
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
submitted and that is considered complete 
under subparagraph (A)(i) because the re-
questing party has not received a written 
notice from the franchising authority with-
in the period described in such subpara-
graph, on the day after the last day of 
such period.’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:17 May 27, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H3287.IH
H3287
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS