To protect local media, and for other purposes.

Bill: 116-hr-6913
Sponsor: Rep. Ryan, Tim [D-OH-13]
Introduced: 2020-05-15 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Appropriations
Broadcasting, cable, digital technologies
Cardiovascular and respiratory health
Congressional oversight
Department of the Treasury
Disability assistance
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Employment taxes
Government information and archives
Government lending and loan guarantees
Government trust funds
Income tax exclusion
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Internet and video services
Internet, web applications, social media
Marketing and advertising
News media and reporting
Small business
Social security and elderly assistance
Tax-exempt organizations
Television and film
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2020-05-15
text: 
This bill requires a federal executive agency to expend 50% of funds obligated by such agency for the advertising and underwriting activities of local media for the period beginning on the enactment of this bill, and ending on December 31, 2020. It also requires such agencies to expend 25% of such funds for the period beginning on or after January 1, 2021. At least 45% of agency advertising and underwriting activities funding must be expended equally between newspapers, television stations, and radio stations that are local media. 
 
The bill (1) expands the payroll protection program to newspaper, radio, and Internet publishing businesses with not more than 500 employees; (2) allows a payroll tax credit for 30% of first-year newsroom wages paid by a local media company; and (3) treats the publication (including electronic publication) of written news articles by an independent or community-based publication as a tax-exempt purpose.
 
The bill expresses the sense of Congress that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting must provide programming to preschool, elementary, and secondary school children that promotes digital literacy during the period that such children cannot attend school due to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2020-05-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Reform, Small Business, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor, 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: 2020-05-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Reform, Small Business, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor, 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: 2020-05-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Reform, Small Business, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor, 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: 2020-05-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Reform, Small Business, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor, 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: 2020-05-15
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Reform, Small Business, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor, 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: 2020-05-15
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2020-05-15
text: Introduced in House