[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 187 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 187

    To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require the Federal 
  Communications Commission to prescribe rules to lower market entry 
   barriers for small business, business concerns owned by women and 
members of minority groups, and nonprofit entities that are seeking to 
      provide telecommunication services and information services.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 4, 1995

   Mrs. Collins of Illinois introduced the following bill; which was 
                 referred to the Committee on Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require the Federal 
  Communications Commission to prescribe rules to lower market entry 
   barriers for small business, business concerns owned by women and 
members of minority groups, and nonprofit entities that are seeking to 
      provide telecommunication services and information services.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION. 1. COMPETITION BY SMALL BUSINESS AND MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS 
              CONCERNS.

    Title II of the Communications Act of 1934 is amended by adding at 
the end the following new section:

``SEC. 235. POLICY AND RULEMAKING TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY OF OWNERSHIP.

    ``(a) Findings.--The Congress finds that--
            ``(1) in furtherance of the purposes of this Act to make 
        available to all people of the United States a rapid and 
        efficient communications service, and for the purposes of 
        promoting a diversity of opinion in the broadcasting service, 
        the Commission has established regulations and policies to 
        promote ownership of broadcasting services by members of 
        minority groups;
            ``(2) these regulations have served to promote more 
        vigorous communications on public issues, to broaden the number 
        and variety of stakeholders in the American economy, and to 
        promote innovation by and creativity by Americans of different 
        cultures and national origins, and thereby have served to build 
        a more cohesive and productive society;
            ``(3) while the Commission has adopted regulations to 
        promote participation by businesses owned by members of 
        minority groups and women, and small businesses, in auctions 
        for certain spectrum-based services which promote diversity of 
        ownership in those services, no other regulations have been 
        established to promote such diversity of participation in the 
        provision of common carrier services or in the provision of 
        other telecommunications and information services;
            ``(4) the goals of competitively priced services, service 
        innovation, employment, and diversity of viewpoint can be 
        advanced by promoting marketplace penetration by small business 
        concerns, business concerns owned by women and members of 
        minority groups, and nonprofit entities; and
            ``(5) it should be the policy of the Commission to promote 
        whenever possible diversity of ownership in the provision of 
        information services and telecommunication services by such 
        concerns and entities.
    ``(b) Rulemaking Required.--Within 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this section, the Commission, in consultation with the 
National Telecommunications and Information Administration, shall 
initiate a rulemaking proceeding for the purpose of lowering market 
entry barriers for small business, business concerns owned by women and 
members of minority groups, and nonprofit entities that are seeking to 
provide telecommunication services and information services. The 
proceeding shall seek to provide remedies for, among other things, lack 
of access to capital and technical and marketing expertise on the part 
of such concerns and entities. Consistent with the broad policy and 
finding set forth in subsection (a), the Commission shall adopt such 
regulations and make such recommendations to Congress as the Commission 
deems appropriate. Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this section, the Commission shall complete the proceeding required 
by this subsection.''.
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