[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 851 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 851

To require the Federal Communications Commission to establish improved 
   predictive models for determining the availability of television 
                           broadcast signals.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 25, 1999

   Mr. Tauzin (for himself, Mr. Markey, Mr. Bliley, Mr. Dingell, Mr. 
 Oxley, Mr. Upton, Mr. Gillmor, Mrs. Cubin, Mr. Stearns, Mr. Largent, 
 Mr. Pickering, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Bilbray, Mr. Hill of Montana, Mr. Lewis 
  of California, Mr. Hilleary, Mr. John, Mr. Goss, and Mr. Boehlert) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
  Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Federal Communications Commission to establish improved 
   predictive models for determining the availability of television 
                           broadcast signals.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Save Our Satellites Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION RULEMAKING REQUIRED.

    Title I of the Communications Act of 1934 is amended by inserting 
after section 11 (47 U.S.C. 161) the following new section:

``SEC. 12. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION RULEMAKING REQUIRED.

    ``(a) Establishment of Improved Predictive Models Required.--Within 
90 days after the date of enactment of this section, the Commission 
shall establish different predictive models for making determinations 
of the boundaries of areas within the predicted Grade B Contour of 
television broadcast stations for purposes of this Act and for purposes 
of other Federal statutes and regulations. Such models shall include a 
model based on one of the models described in the Commission's report 
and order adopted February 2, 1999 (CS Docket 98-201).
    ``(b) Treatment as Unserved Household.--Any subscriber who on 
February 24, 1999, is receiving from a satellite carrier for private 
home viewing secondary transmissions of programming contained in a 
primary transmission made by a network station shall, during the period 
beginning February 24, 1999, and until the Commission completes the 
action required by subsection (a), be treated as residing in an 
unserved household for purposes of section 119 of title 17, United 
States Code.
    ``(c) Definitions.--The terms used in this section have the 
meanings provided by section 119(d) of title 17, United States Code.''.
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