Small Business Broadband Deployment Act

Bill: 114-hr-4596
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Walden, Greg [R-OR-2]
Introduced: 2016-02-24
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Consumer affairs

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

Internet and video services

Internet, web applications, social media

Small business

Telecommunication rates and fees
Latest action: action_date: 2016-03-17
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2016-02-24
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Small Business Broadband Deployment Act</b></p> <p>This bill exempts small businesses from the enhancements to the transparency rule of the Federal Communications Commission under which any person engaged in the provision of broadband Internet access service must disclose publicly accurate information regarding the network management practices, performance, and commercial terms of its broadband Internet access services sufficient for:</p> <ul> <li>consumers to make informed choices regarding their use; and</li> <li>content, application, service, and device providers to develop, market, and maintain Internet offerings.</li> </ul>

action_date: 2016-03-07
action_desc: Reported to House with amendment(s)
text: <p><b>Small Business Broadband Deployment Act</b></p> <p>(Sec. 2) This bill exempts for five years any small business broadband Internet access service provider with no more than 250,000 subscribers from the enhancements to the transparency rule of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under which any person engaged in the provision of broadband Internet access service must disclose publicly accurate information regarding the network management practices, performance, and commercial terms of its broadband Internet access services sufficient for:</p> <ul> <li>consumers to make informed choices regarding their use; and</li> <li>content, application, service, and device providers to develop, market, and maintain Internet offerings.</li> </ul> <p> The FCC shall report to specified congressional committees, within 180 days after enactment of this Act, its recommendations (together with supporting data) on whether:</p> <ul> <li>this exception should be made permanent, and</li> <li>the definition of &quot;small business&quot; for these purposes should be modified.</li> </ul>

action_date: 2016-03-16
action_desc: Passed House without amendment
text: <p>(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on March 7, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.)</p> <p><b>Small Business Broadband Deployment Act</b></p> <p>(Sec. 2) This bill exempts for five years any small business broadband Internet access service provider with no more than 250,000 subscribers from the enhancements to the transparency rule of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under which any person engaged in the provision of broadband Internet access service must disclose publicly accurate information regarding the network management practices, performance, and commercial terms of its broadband Internet access services sufficient for:</p> <ul> <li>consumers to make informed choices regarding their use; and</li> <li>content, application, service, and device providers to develop, market, and maintain Internet offerings.</li> </ul> <p> The FCC shall report to specified congressional committees, within 180 days after enactment of this Act, its recommendations (together with supporting data) on whether:</p> <ul> <li>this exception should be made permanent, and</li> <li>the definition of &quot;small business&quot; for these purposes should be modified. </li> </ul>

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 4596 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 24, 2016 Mr. Walden introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To ensure that small business providers of broadband Internet access service can devote resources to broadband deployment rather than compliance with cumbersome regulatory requirements.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Small Business Broadband Deployment Act . 2. Exception to enhancement to transparency requirements for small businesses (a) In general The enhancements to the transparency rule of the Federal Communications Commission under section 8.3 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, as described in paragraphs 162 through 184 of the Report and Order on Remand, Declaratory Ruling, and Order of the Federal Communications Commission with regard to protecting and promoting the open Internet (adopted February 26, 2015) (FCC 15–24), shall not apply to any small business. (b) Definitions In this section: (1) Broadband Internet access service The term broadband Internet access service has the meaning given such term in section 8.2 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations. (2) Small business The term small business means any provider of broadband Internet access service that has not more than— (A) 1,500 employees; or (B) 500,000 subscribers.

tv_txt: IB 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 4596 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AN ACT To ensure that small business providers of broadband Internet access service can devote resources to broadband deployment rather than compliance with cumbersome regulatory requirements.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Small Business Broadband Deployment Act . 2. Exception to enhancement to transparency requirements for small businesses (a) In general The enhancements to the transparency rule of the Federal Communications Commission under section 8.3 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, as described in paragraphs 162 through 184 of the Report and Order on Remand, Declaratory Ruling, and Order of the Federal Communications Commission with regard to protecting and promoting the open Internet (adopted February 26, 2015) (FCC 15–24), shall not apply to any small business. (b) Sunset Subsection (a) shall not have any force or effect after the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) Report by FCC Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report that contains the recommendations of the Commission (and data supporting such recommendations) regarding— (1) whether the exception provided by subsection (a) should be made permanent; and (2) whether the definition of the term small business for purposes of such exception should be modified from the definition in subsection (d)(2). (d) Definitions In this section: (1) Broadband Internet access service The term broadband Internet access service has the meaning given such term in section 8.2 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations. (2) Small business The term small business means any provider of broadband Internet access service that has not more than 250,000 subscribers.

Passed the House of Representatives March 16, 2016. Karen L. Haas, Clerk.

tv_txt: IIB 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 4596 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 17, 2016 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation AN ACT To ensure that small business providers of broadband Internet access service can devote resources to broadband deployment rather than compliance with cumbersome regulatory requirements.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Small Business Broadband Deployment Act . 2. Exception to enhancement to transparency requirements for small businesses (a) In general The enhancements to the transparency rule of the Federal Communications Commission under section 8.3 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, as described in paragraphs 162 through 184 of the Report and Order on Remand, Declaratory Ruling, and Order of the Federal Communications Commission with regard to protecting and promoting the open Internet (adopted February 26, 2015) (FCC 15–24), shall not apply to any small business. (b) Sunset Subsection (a) shall not have any force or effect after the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) Report by FCC Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report that contains the recommendations of the Commission (and data supporting such recommendations) regarding— (1) whether the exception provided by subsection (a) should be made permanent; and (2) whether the definition of the term small business for purposes of such exception should be modified from the definition in subsection (d)(2). (d) Definitions In this section: (1) Broadband Internet access service The term broadband Internet access service has the meaning given such term in section 8.2 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations. (2) Small business The term small business means any provider of broadband Internet access service that has not more than 250,000 subscribers.

Passed the House of Representatives March 16, 2016. Karen L. Haas, Clerk

tv_txt: IB Union Calendar No. 339 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 4596 [Report No. 114–444] IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 24, 2016 Mr. Walden introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce March 7, 2016 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on February 24, 2016 A BILL To ensure that small business providers of broadband Internet access service can devote resources to broadband deployment rather than compliance with cumbersome regulatory requirements.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Small Business Broadband Deployment Act . 2. Exception to enhancement to transparency requirements for small businesses (a) In general The enhancements to the transparency rule of the Federal Communications Commission under section 8.3 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, as described in paragraphs 162 through 184 of the Report and Order on Remand, Declaratory Ruling, and Order of the Federal Communications Commission with regard to protecting and promoting the open Internet (adopted February 26, 2015) (FCC 15–24), shall not apply to any small business. (b) Sunset Subsection (a) shall not have any force or effect after the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) Report by FCC Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Federal Communications Commission shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report that contains the recommendations of the Commission (and data supporting such recommendations) regarding— (1) whether the exception provided by subsection (a) should be made permanent; and (2) whether the definition of the term small business for purposes of such exception should be modified from the definition in subsection (d)(2). (d) Definitions In this section: (1) Broadband Internet access service The term broadband Internet access service has the meaning given such term in section 8.2 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations. (2) Small business The term small business means any provider of broadband Internet access service that has not more than 250,000 subscribers.

March 7, 2016 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed