CABLE Competition Act

Bill: 116-hr-7336
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Burgess, Michael C. [R-TX-26]
Introduced: 2020-06-25
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Broadcasting, cable, digital technologies

State and local government operations

Television and film
Latest action: action_date: 2020-06-25
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-06-25
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Consumer Access to Broadband for Local Economies and Competition Act or the CABLE Competition Act</b></p> <p>This bill modifies the process for transferring a cable franchise to a person to whom such franchise was not initially granted.</p> <p>Specifically, the bill prohibits a cable franchising authority from (1) precluding the transfer of a cable franchise from a cable operator to a person to whom such franchise was not initially granted, or (2) requiring a cable operator that was initially granted a franchise to receive approval from the franchising authority for such a transfer. However, a franchising authority is authorized to require a cable operator to notify the authority of such a transfer. </p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7336 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 25, 2020 Mr. Burgess introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit franchising authorities from requiring approval for the sale of cable systems, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Consumer Access to Broadband for Local Economies and Competition Act or the CABLE Competition Act . 2. Sales of cable systems (a) In general Section 621 of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 541 ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (g) (1) A franchising authority may not— (A) preclude a cable operator from transferring a franchise to a person to which such franchise was not initially granted; or (B) require a cable operator to which a franchise is initially granted to receive approval from the franchising authority for the transfer of such franchise to a person who to which such franchise was not initially granted. (2) In the case of the transfer of a franchise to a person to which such franchise was not originally granted, a franchising authority may require a cable operator to which a franchise was initially granted to, not later than 15 days after a transfer of a franchise, notify the franchising authority in writing of such transfer. (3) In this subsection, the term transfer means the assignment rights under a franchise through any transaction, including a merger, sale, assignment, restructuring, or transfer of control of a cable operator or a cable system. . (b) Effective date This section, and the amendment made by subsection (a), shall take effect 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) Application This section, and the amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to a franchise granted— (1) on or after the effective date established by subsection (b); or (2) before such date, if such franchise (including any renewal term thereof) is in effect on such date.