IIB 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1580 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MAY 15, 2013 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation 
AN ACT 
To affirm the policy of the United States regarding Internet 
governance. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
(1) Given the importance of the Internet to the 
global economy, it is essential that the Internet re-
main stable, secure, and free from government con-
trol. 
(2) The world deserves the access to knowledge, 
services, commerce, and communication, the accom-
panying benefits to economic development, edu-
cation, and health care, and the informed discussion 
that is the bedrock of democratic self-government 
that the Internet provides. 
(3) The structure of Internet governance has 
profound implications for competition and trade, de-
mocratization, free expression, and access to infor-
mation. 
(4) Countries have obligations to protect human 
rights, whether exercised online or offline. 
(5) The ability to innovate, develop technical 
capacity, grasp economic opportunities, and promote 
freedom of expression online is best realized in co-
operation with all stakeholders. 
(6) Proposals have been, and will likely con-
tinue to be, put forward at international regulatory 
bodies that would fundamentally alter the govern-
ance and operation of the Internet. 
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(7) The proposals would attempt to justify in-
creased government control over the Internet and 
could undermine the current multistakeholder model 
that has enabled the Internet to flourish and under 
which the private sector, civil society, academia, and 
individual users play an important role in charting 
its direction. 
(8) The proposals would diminish the freedom 
of expression on the Internet in favor of government 
control over content. 
(9) The position of the United States Govern-
ment has been and is to advocate for the flow of in-
formation free from government control. 
(10) This Administration and past Administra-
tions have made a strong commitment to the multi-
stakeholder model of Internet governance and the 
promotion of the global benefits of the Internet. 
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SEC. 2. POLICY REGARDING INTERNET GOVERNANCE. 
It is the policy of the United States to preserve and 
advance the successful multistakeholder model that gov-
erns the Internet. 
Passed the House of Representatives May 14, 2013. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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