I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7364 
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to preserve cable franchising 
authority, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 25, 2020 
Mr. LONG introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to preserve 
cable franchising authority, 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 ‘‘Cable Access for 
Broadband and Local Economic Leadership Act’’ or the 
‘‘CABLE Leadership Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PRESERVATION OF CABLE FRANCHISING AUTHOR-
ITY. 
Section 621 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 541) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(g) TIMING
OF DECISIONS
ON REQUESTS
FOR 
FRANCHISES AND OTHER AUTHORIZATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) REQUEST
FOR
NEW
FRANCHISE.—Not 
later than 120 days after the date on which a fran-
chising authority receives a complete request for the 
grant of a franchise (other than a renewal thereof), 
the franchising authority shall approve or deny such 
request. 
‘‘(2) NONEMERGENCY REQUESTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 90 
days after a franchising authority receives a 
complete nonemergency request, as determined 
by the Commission, from a cable operator for 
authorization to modify or upgrade a cable sys-
tem or facilities for the cable system, the fran-
chising authority shall grant or deny such re-
quest. 
‘‘(B) DENIAL
OF
NONEMERGENCY
RE-
QUEST.—Any decision by a franchising author-
ity to deny a nonemergency request described 
under subparagraph (A) shall be— 
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‘‘(i) in writing; 
‘‘(ii) supported by substantial evidence 
contained in a written record; and 
‘‘(iii) publicly released, contempora-
neously with the decision. 
‘‘(3) DEEMED GRANTS.— 
‘‘(A) DEEMED
GRANT
OF
NEW
FRAN-
CHISE.—If the franchising authority does not 
grant or deny a request under paragraph (1) by 
the day after the date on which the time period 
ends under such paragraph, such request shall 
be deemed granted on such day. 
‘‘(B) DEEMED GRANT OF NONEMERGENCY 
REQUEST.—If franchising authority does not 
grant or deny such request by the day after the 
date on which the time period ends under such 
paragraph or denies such request, but fails to 
comply with paragraph (2)(B) with respect to 
the denial, such request shall be deemed grant-
ed on such day. 
‘‘(4) WHEN REQUEST CONSIDERED COMPLETE; 
RECEIVED.—For the purposes of this subsection, a 
request under this subsection shall be considered— 
‘‘(A) complete if— 
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‘‘(i) the cable operator makes the re-
quest by submitting to the franchising au-
thority the form required to be used for 
making the request; 
‘‘(ii) the form submitted contains all 
of the information specified by the form as 
being required to be included in form; and 
‘‘(iii) the cable operator has not re-
ceived a written notice from the fran-
chising authority within 10 business days 
after the date on which the request is re-
ceived by the franchising authority— 
‘‘(I) stating that the form does 
not contain all of the information re-
quired to be included in the form; and 
‘‘(II) identifying the information 
required to be included in the form 
that was not included; and 
‘‘(B) received by the franchising author-
ity— 
‘‘(i) in the case of a request submitted 
electronically, on the date on which the 
form required to be used for making the 
request is transmitted; 
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‘‘(ii) in the case of a request sub-
mitted in person, on the date on which the 
form required to be used for making the 
request is delivered to the individual or at 
the location specified in the form for in- 
person submission; and 
‘‘(iii) in the case of a request sub-
mitted in any other manner, on the date 
determined by the franchising authority for 
the manner in which the request is made.’’. 
Æ 
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