I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 681 
To amend the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 
and the Communications Act of 1934 to establish a new digital television 
transition date, to improve the digital-to-analog converter box program, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 26, 2009 
Mr. WAXMAN (for himself, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mrs. CAPPS, 
Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. DOYLE, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. GOR-
DON of Tennessee, Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas, Mr. HILL, Mr. MARKEY 
of Massachusetts, Mr. RUSH, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. MCNERNEY, Ms. 
CASTOR of Florida, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. MATHESON, Mr. 
GRAYSON, Mr. RANGEL, and Mr. PIERLUISI) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Digital Television Transition and Public Safe-
ty Act of 2005 and the Communications Act of 1934 
to establish a new digital television transition date, to 
improve the digital-to-analog converter box program, and 
for other purposes. 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Digital Television 
Transition Extension Act of 2009’’. 
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SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF DTV TRANSITION DEADLINE. 
(a) AMENDMENTS
TO COMMUNICATIONS ACT
OF 
1934.— 
(1) SECTION 309.—Section 309(j)(14)(A) of the 
Communications 
Act 
of 
1934 
(47 
U.S.C. 
309(j)(14)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘February 
17, 2009’’ and inserting ‘‘June 12, 2009’’. 
(2) SECTION
337.—Section 337(e)(1) of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 337(e)(1)) 
is amended by striking ‘‘February 17, 2009’’ and in-
serting ‘‘June 12, 2009’’. 
(b) AMENDMENTS TO DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSI-
TION AND PUBLIC SAFETY ACT OF 2005.— 
(1) SECTION 3002.—Section 3002(b) of the Dig-
ital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 
2005 is amended by striking ‘‘February 18’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘June 13’’. 
(2) SECTION 3005.—Section 3005(c)(1) of such 
Act is amended by striking ‘‘March 31, 2009’’ and 
inserting ‘‘July 31, 2009’’. 
(3) SECTION 3008.—Section 3008(a)(1) of such 
Act is amended by striking ‘‘February 17, 2009’’ 
and inserting ‘‘June 12, 2009’’. 
(c) LICENSE TERMS.— 
(1) EXTENSION.—The Federal Communications 
Commission shall extend the terms of the licenses 
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for the recovered spectrum, including the license pe-
riod and construction requirements associated with 
those licenses, for a 116-day period. 
(2) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this sub-
section, the term ‘‘recovered spectrum’’ means— 
(A) the recovered analog spectrum, as such 
term is defined in section 309(j)(15)(C)(vi) of 
the Communications Act of 1934; and 
(B) the spectrum excluded from the defini-
tion of recovered analog spectrum by subclauses 
(I) and (II) of such section. 
SEC. 
3. 
MODIFICATION 
OF 
DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG 
CON-
VERTER BOX PROGRAM. 
(a) TREATMENT OF EXPIRED COUPONS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 3005(c)(1) of the 
Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act 
of 2005 is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subparagraph: 
‘‘(D) EXPIRED COUPONS.—The Assistant 
Secretary shall issue to a household, upon re-
quest by the household, one replacement coupon 
for each coupon that was issued to such house-
hold and that expired without being re-
deemed.’’. 
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(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section 
3005(c)(1)(A) of the Digital Television Transition 
and Public Safety Act of 2005 is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘receives’’ and inserting ‘‘redeems’’. 
(b) EXPEDITING DELIVERY.— 
(1) FIRST CLASS MAIL.—Within 7 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Assistant Sec-
retary for Communications and Information of the 
Department of Commerce shall expedite the distribu-
tion of coupons issued under section 3005 of the 
Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act 
of 2005 by directing that, if coupons are delivered 
via the United States Postal Service, such coupons 
shall be delivered via pre-sorted first class mail serv-
ice. 
(2) 
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section 
3005(c)(1)(A) of the Digital Television Transition 
and Public Safety Act of 2005 is further amended 
by striking ‘‘, via the United States Postal Service,’’. 
(c) CONDITION
OF MODIFICATIONS.—The amend-
ments made by this section shall not take effect until the 
enactment of new budget authority to carry out the ana-
log-to-digital converter box program under section 3005 
of the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act 
of 2005. 
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