I 
119TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7045 
To repeal section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 13, 2026 
Mr. PATRONIS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To repeal section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Promoting Responsible 
Online Technology and Ensuring Consumer Trust Act’’ or 
the ‘‘PROTECT Act’’. 
SEC. 2. REPEAL OF SECTION 230. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 230 of the Communica-
tions Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 230) is repealed. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
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(1) COMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1934.—The Com-
munications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.) is 
amended— 
(A) in section 223— 
(i) in subsection (h)(1)— 
(I) by striking subparagraph (D); 
and 
(II) by redesignating subpara-
graphs (E) and (F) as subparagraphs 
(D) and (E), respectively; and 
(ii) in subsection (i), by striking para-
graph (2) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(2) The term ‘interactive computer service’ 
means any information service, system, or access 
software provider that provides or enables computer 
access by multiple users to a computer server, in-
cluding specifically a service or system that provides 
access to the internet and such systems operated or 
services offered by libraries or educational institu-
tions.’’; and 
(B) in section 231(b)(4), by striking ‘‘or 
section 230’’. 
(2) TRADEMARK ACT OF 1946.—Section 45 of 
the Act entitled ‘‘An Act to provide for the registra-
tion and protection of trademarks used in commerce, 
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to carry out the provisions of certain international 
conventions, and for other purposes’’, approved July 
5, 1946 (commonly known as the ‘‘Trademark Act 
of 1946’’) (15 U.S.C. 1127), is amended, in the un-
designated provision relating to the term ‘‘Internet’’, 
by striking ‘‘has the meaning given that term in sec-
tion 230(f)(1) of the Communications Act of 1934 
(47 U.S.C. 230(f)(1))’’ and inserting ‘‘means the 
international computer network of both Federal and 
non-Federal interoperable packet switched data net-
works’’. 
(3) TITLE 17, UNITED STATES CODE.—Section 
1401 of title 17, United States Code, is amended by 
striking subsection (g). 
(4) TITLE 18, UNITED STATES CODE.—Part I of 
title 18, United States Code, is amended— 
(A) in section 1462, by striking ‘‘(as de-
fined in section 230(e)(2) of the Communica-
tions Act of 1934)’’ each place it appears and 
inserting ‘‘(as defined in section 223(i) of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
223(i)))’’; 
(B) in section 1465, by striking ‘‘(as de-
fined in section 230(e)(2) of the Communica-
tions Act of 1934)’’ and inserting ‘‘(as defined 
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in section 223(i) of the Communications Act of 
1934 (47 U.S.C. 223(i)))’’; 
(C) in section 2257(h)(2)(B)(v), by strik-
ing ‘‘, except that deletion of a particular com-
munication or material made by another person 
in a manner consistent with section 230(c) of 
the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
230(c)) shall not constitute such selection or al-
teration of the content of the communication’’; 
and 
(D) in section 2421A— 
(i) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘(as 
such term is defined in defined in section 
230(f) the Communications Act of 1934 
(47 U.S.C. 230(f)))’’ and inserting ‘‘(as 
such term is defined in section 223(i) of 
the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 223(i)))’’; and 
(ii) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘(as 
such term is defined in defined in section 
230(f) the Communications Act of 1934 
(47 U.S.C. 230(f)))’’ and inserting ‘‘(as 
such term is defined in section 223(i) of 
the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 223(i)))’’. 
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(5) CONTROLLED
SUBSTANCES
ACT.—Section 
401(h)(3)(A)(iii)(II) of the Controlled Substances 
Act (21 U.S.C. 841(h)(3)(A)(iii)(II)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘, except that deletion of a particular com-
munication or material made by another person in 
a manner consistent with section 230(c) of the Com-
munications Act of 1934 shall not constitute such 
selection or alteration of the content of the commu-
nication’’. 
(6) WEBB-KENYON
ACT.—Section 3(b)(1) of 
the Act entitled ‘‘An Act divesting intoxicating liq-
uors of their interstate character in certain cases’’, 
approved March 1, 1913 (commonly known as the 
‘‘Webb-Kenyon Act’’) (27 U.S.C. 122b(b)(1)), is 
amended by striking ‘‘(as defined in section 230(f) 
of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
230(f))’’ and inserting ‘‘(as defined in section 223(i) 
of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
223(i)))’’. 
(7) TITLE 28, UNITED STATES CODE.—Section 
4102 of title 28, United States Code, is amended— 
(A) by striking subsection (c); and 
(B) in subsection (e)— 
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(i) by striking ‘‘construed to’’ and all 
that follows through ‘‘affect’’ and inserting 
‘‘construed to affect’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘defamation; or’’ and 
all that follows and inserting ‘‘defama-
tion.’’. 
(8) DANIEL ANDERL JUDICIAL SECURITY AND 
PRIVACY ACT OF 2022.—Section 5933(7) of the Dan-
iel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act of 2022 
(Public Law 117–263) is amended by striking ‘‘sec-
tion 230 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 230)’’ and inserting ‘‘section 223(i) of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 223(i))’’. 
(9) TITLE 31, UNITED STATES CODE.—Section 
5362(6) of title 31, United States Code, is amended 
by striking ‘‘section 230(f) of the Communications 
Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 230(f))’’ and inserting ‘‘sec-
tion 223(i) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 223(i))’’. 
(10) NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND IN-
FORMATION ADMINISTRATION ORGANIZATION ACT.— 
Section 157 of the National Telecommunications 
and Information Administration Organization Act 
(47 U.S.C. 941) is amended— 
(A) by striking subsection (e); and 
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(B) 
by 
redesignating 
subsections 
(f) 
through (j) as subsections (e) through (i), re-
spectively. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
Æ 
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