with the necessary access to evaluate data in a more 
comprehensive way. 
SEC. 3. MATERIAL IN ONLINE PUBLIC INSPECTION FILE RE-
QUIRED TO BE IN MACHINE-READABLE FOR-
MAT. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COMMISSION.—The term ‘‘Commission’’ 
means the Federal Communications Commission. 
(2) COVERED ENTITY.—The term ‘‘covered en-
tity’’ means a full-powered television broadcast sta-
tion, class A television system, AM or FM radio 
broadcast station, cable operator, direct broadcast 
satellite service provider, satellite digital audio radio 
service provider, or any other entity to which an on-
line public inspection file requirement applies. 
(3) MACHINE-READABLE.—The term ‘‘machine- 
readable’’ means, with respect to the format of ma-
terial in a public inspection file, that the format sup-
ports— 
(A) the automated searching for particular 
text within and among documents; 
(B) the bulk downloading of data con-
tained in the material; 
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(C) the aggregation, manipulation, sorting, 
and analysis of the data contained in the mate-
rial; and 
(D) any other functionality that the Com-
mission considers appropriate. 
(4) ONLINE
PUBLIC
INSPECTION
FILE
RE-
QUIREMENT.—The term ‘‘online public inspection 
file requirement’’ means a requirement for a covered 
entity to make material in the public inspection file 
of the entity available on, or upload the material to, 
the online public file database hosted by the Com-
mission. 
(5) POLITICAL FILE.—The term ‘‘political file’’ 
means, with respect to a covered entity, the file that 
the entity is required to maintain and make avail-
able for public inspection under section 315(e) of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 315(e)) or 
under any similar requirement applicable to the enti-
ty that is administered by the Commission. 
(6) PUBLIC
INSPECTION
FILE.—The term 
‘‘public inspection file’’, with respect to a covered en-
tity— 
(A) means the file or files that the entity 
is required to maintain and make available for 
public inspection under section 25.701, 25.702, 
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73.3526, 73.3527, or 76.1700 of title 47, Code 
of Federal Regulations (or any successor regu-
lation), as applicable to the entity, or under any 
similar requirement applicable to the entity that 
is administered by the Commission; and 
(B) includes any political file that the enti-
ty is required to maintain and make available 
for public inspection. 
(b) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Commission shall 
promulgate regulations that require a covered entity, to 
the extent that the entity is required to make material 
in the public inspection file of the entity available on, or 
upload the material to, the online public file database 
hosted by the Commission, to make the material available 
or upload the material in a format that is machine-read-
able. 
(c) APPLICABILITY.— 
(1) COVERED ENTITIES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), the regulations promulgated 
under subsection (b) shall apply— 
(i) to a covered entity for which an 
online public inspection file requirement is 
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in effect on the date of the promulgation 
of such regulations— 
(I) with respect to the political 
file portion of the public inspection 
file, beginning not later than the date 
that is 60 days after the date of such 
promulgation; and 
(II) with respect to the other por-
tions of the public inspection file, at 
the same time as the regulations 
apply under subclause (I) with respect 
to the political file portion of the pub-
lic inspection file or as soon thereafter 
as the Commission considers prac-
ticable; and 
(ii) to a covered entity for which an 
online public inspection file requirement 
becomes effective after the date of the pro-
mulgation of the regulations— 
(I) with respect to the political 
file portion of the public inspection 
file, beginning on the later of— 
(aa) the date of applicability 
of the regulations under clause 
(i)(I); or 
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(bb) the date on which the 
online public inspection file re-
quirement becomes effective for 
the entity; and 
(II) with respect to the other por-
tions of the public inspection file, at 
the same time as the regulations 
apply under subclause (I) with respect 
to the political file portion of the pub-
lic inspection file or as soon thereafter 
as the Commission considers prac-
ticable. 
(B) EXTENSIONS FOR GOOD CAUSE.—The 
Commission may extend a deadline under sub-
paragraph (A) for a specific covered entity or a 
group of covered entities for good cause. 
(2) NEW
MATERIAL
ONLY.—The regulations 
promulgated under subsection (b) shall apply only to 
material in the public inspection file of a covered en-
tity that is newly generated on or after the date of 
the promulgation of the regulations. 
Æ 
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