I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4682 
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure internet openness, 
to prohibit blocking of lawful content, applications, services, and non- 
harmful devices, to prohibit impairment or degradation of lawful internet 
traffic, to limit the authority of the Federal Communications Commission 
and to preempt State law with respect to internet openness obligations, 
to provide that broadband internet access service shall be considered 
to be an information service, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 19, 2017 
Mrs. BLACKBURN (for herself, Mr. STIVERS, Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio, Mr. HUD-
SON, Mr. LANCE, Mr. COLLINS of New York, Mr. MOONEY of West Vir-
ginia, Mr. FLORES, Mr. CURTIS, Mr. NORMAN, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. DUN-
CAN of South Carolina, Mr. CARTER of Georgia, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. 
GUTHRIE, and Mr. KNIGHT) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure inter-
net openness, to prohibit blocking of lawful content, ap-
plications, services, and non-harmful devices, to prohibit 
impairment or degradation of lawful internet traffic, to 
limit the authority of the Federal Communications Com-
mission and to preempt State law with respect to inter-
net openness obligations, to provide that broadband 
internet access service shall be considered to be an infor-
mation service, and for other purposes. 
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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 ‘‘Open Internet Preser-
vation Act’’. 
SEC. 2. INTERNET OPENNESS. 
Title I of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 151 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘SEC. 13. INTERNET OPENNESS. 
‘‘(a) OBLIGATIONS OF BROADBAND INTERNET AC-
CESS SERVICE PROVIDERS.—A person engaged in the pro-
vision of broadband internet access service, insofar as such 
person is so engaged— 
‘‘(1) may not block lawful content, applications, 
services, or non-harmful devices, subject to reason-
able network management; and 
‘‘(2) may not impair or degrade lawful internet 
traffic on the basis of internet content, application, 
or service, or use of a non-harmful device, subject to 
reasonable network management. 
‘‘(b) COMMISSION AUTHORITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall en-
force the obligations established in subsection (a) 
and the obligations established in subsection (e)(2) 
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through adjudication of complaints alleging viola-
tions of such respective subsection but may not, 
under any provision of law, whether by rulemaking 
or otherwise— 
‘‘(A) expand the internet openness obliga-
tions for provision of broadband internet access 
service beyond the obligations established in 
subsection (a); or 
‘‘(B) expand the internet openness obliga-
tions for the offering or provision of specialized 
services beyond the obligations established in 
subsection (e)(2). 
‘‘(2) FORMAL COMPLAINT PROCEDURES.—Not 
later than 60 days after the date of the enactment 
of this section, the Commission shall adopt formal 
complaint procedures to address alleged violations of 
subsection (a) and alleged violations of subsection 
(e)(2). Such procedures shall include a deadline (rel-
ative to the date of filing of a complaint under such 
procedures) for the disposition of such complaint. 
‘‘(c) PREEMPTION OF STATE LAW.—No State or po-
litical subdivision of a State shall adopt, maintain, enforce, 
or impose or continue in effect any law, rule, regulation, 
duty, requirement, standard, or other provision having the 
force and effect of law relating to or with respect to inter-
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net openness obligations for provision of broadband inter-
net access service. 
‘‘(d) OTHER LAWS AND CONSIDERATIONS.—Nothing 
in this section— 
‘‘(1) supersedes any obligation or authorization 
a provider of broadband internet access service may 
have to address the needs of emergency communica-
tions or law enforcement, public safety, or national 
security authorities, consistent with or as permitted 
by applicable law, or limits the provider’s ability to 
do so; or 
‘‘(2) prohibits reasonable efforts by a provider 
of broadband internet access service to address copy-
right infringement or other unlawful activity. 
‘‘(e) SPECIALIZED SERVICES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), nothing in this section shall be construed 
to limit the ability of broadband internet access serv-
ice providers to offer specialized services. 
‘‘(2) PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN PRACTICES.— 
Specialized services may not be offered or provided 
in ways that threaten the meaningful availability of 
broadband internet access service or that have been 
devised or promoted in a manner designed to evade 
the purposes of this section. 
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