[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2700 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2700

     To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the Federal 
 Communications Commission to establish an office on victims of media 
                                 bias.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 1, 2001

    Mr. Engel (for himself, Mr. Rush, and Mr. Honda) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to direct the Federal 
 Communications Commission to establish an office on victims of media 
                                 bias.

    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 ``Ethnic, Minority, and Gender Bias 
Clearinghouse Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF ETHNIC AND MINORITY AFFAIRS SECTION.

    (a) In General.--Section 5 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 
U.S.C. 155) is amended by inserting after subsection (e) the following 
new subsection:
    ``(f) Office on Victims of Media Bias.--
            ``(1) Office required.--There shall be established within 
        the Commission an office on victims of media bias. For the 
        purposes of this subsection, the term `victims of media bias' 
        includes persons or groups who have been or may be 
        discriminated against in their depiction or employment in 
        broadcasting based on their race, ethnicity, religion, sex, 
        sexual orientation, disability, age, or other characteristic.
            ``(2) Functions of office.--The office on victims of media 
        bias shall--
                    ``(A) establish a clearinghouse for complaints, 
                grievances, and opinions relating to radio, television, 
                and cable television broadcast programming and their 
                depiction of victims of media bias;
                    ``(B) collect, analyze, and prepare information 
                from public and private agencies relating to the 
                portrayal of victims of media bias by radio, 
                television, and cable television broadcast 
                entertainment and news programming, and furnish such 
                information, upon request and without charge, to public 
                and private agencies that serve the needs and interests 
                of such victims;
                    ``(C) collect, analyze, and prepare information 
                from public and private agencies relating to the 
                employment of victims of media bias in the production 
                of radio, television, and cable television broadcast 
                entertainment and news programming, and furnish such 
                information on the Internet, and upon request and 
                without charge, to public and private agencies that 
                serve the needs and interests of such victims;
                    ``(D) conduct an annual conference which shall be 
                designed to focus public attention upon the images of 
                victims of media bias depicted by radio, television, 
                and cable television broadcast programming, discuss the 
                impact which these images have on such victims, and 
                encourage the participation of such individuals and 
                public and private organizations that serve the 
                interests of such victims; and
                    ``(E) prepare and transmit to Congress an annual 
                report which details the activities of the office on 
                victims of media bias, including a compilation of all 
                complaints, grievances, and opinions filed under 
                paragraph (A).
            ``(3) Advisory committee required.--The chairman of the 
        Commission shall establish an advisory committee to assist the 
        office on victims of media bias in implementing the annual 
        conference pursuant to paragraph (1)(D). The advisory committee 
        shall be composed of 15 members chosen from among radio and 
        television broadcasters and program producers, educators, 
        representatives from the mental health community, and leaders 
        from communities of victims of media bias.''.
    (b) Time Limit.--Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Commission shall establish the office referred to in 
section 5(f) of the Communications Act of 1934 as amended by this Act.

SEC. 3. SAVINGS PROVISION.

    Nothing in this Act shall authorize or allow the Federal 
Communications Commission or any other government agency to regulate or 
otherwise control the content of news or entertainment programming on 
radio, television, cable television, or in print media. This Act in no 
way is intended to diminish the protection of free speech and the press 
guaranteed under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United 
States.
                                 <all>