Global Free Internet Act of 2012

Bill: 112-hr-6530
Sponsor: Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-16]
Introduced: 2012-09-21 in the House
Policy area: Foreign Trade and International Finance
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Competition and antitrust
Congressional oversight
Executive agency funding and structure
Free trade and trade barriers
Government studies and investigations
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Trade agreements and negotiations
Trade restrictions

Summary:
action_date: 2012-09-21
text: 
Global Free Internet Act of 2012 - Establishes a Task Force on the Global Internet to be hosted by the Department of Commerce.
 
Requires the Task Force to develop and implement strategies in response to foreign and domestic government policies that: (1) unjustifiably or unreasonably burden or restrict international trade in Internet-related goods, services, and content; (2) mandate or otherwise preference Internet-related technology standards and related measures; (3) impede the free flow of information on the Internet; or (4) otherwise threaten the open, global nature of the Internet, the interests of Internet users, and the United States in Internet-related international trade and discourse.
 
Directs the Task Force to coordinate the activity of federal agencies to implement such strategies and to consult and share timely information with civil liberty and Internet policy groups.
 
Requires the Task Force to transmit to the President and Congress specified annual reports and action plans and to hold public hearings and solicit public comment through the Federal Register and the Task Force website.
 
Instructs the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to initiate an investigation of any acts, policies, or practices of a foreign government or international body that are identified in such reports and plans as priority concerns in accordance with the Trade Act of 1974.
 
Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Attorney General (DOJ) to investigate whether each act, policy, or practice identified in such a report or plan (or any related action by a nongovernmental entity) violates U.S. antitrust laws. 
 
Requires the Task Force to report to Congress and the President on the sufficiency of existing multilateral and bilateral trade agreements in advancing specified objectives that support the goal of a single open, global Internet. 
 
Instructs the Task Force to organize training of foreign and domestic government officials and national standard-setting and conformity assessment bodies, including coordination with nongovernmental international and domestic standards bodies.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2012-10-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet.
action_date: 2012-09-26
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
action_date: 2012-09-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, the Judiciary, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2012-09-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, the Judiciary, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2012-09-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, the Judiciary, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2012-09-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, the Judiciary, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2012-09-21
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2012-09-21
text: Introduced in House