[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3663 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

  2d Session
                                S. 3663

   To require the Federal Communications Commission to provide for a 
short-term extension of the analog television broadcasting authority so 
   that essential public safety announcements and digital television 
  transition information may be provided for a short time during the 
             transition to digital television broadcasting.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

            October 1 (legislative day, September 17), 2008

Mr. Rockefeller introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the Federal Communications Commission to provide for a 
short-term extension of the analog television broadcasting authority so 
   that essential public safety announcements and digital television 
  transition information may be provided for a short time during the 
             transition to digital television broadcasting.

    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 ``Short-term Analog Flash and 
Emergency Readiness Act''.

SEC. 2. COMMISSION ACTION REQUIRED.

    (a) Program Required.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
the Federal Communications Commission shall, not later than January 15, 
2009, develop and implement a program to encourage and permit, to the 
extent technically feasible, the continued broadcasting in the analog 
television service of the public safety information and digital 
transition information specified in subsection (b) during the 30-day 
period beginning February 18, 2009, subject to such limitations as the 
Commission finds to be consistent with the public interest and the 
requirements of this Act.
    (b) Information Required.--The program required by subsection (a) 
shall provide for the broadcast of--
            (1) emergency information, including critical details 
        regarding the emergency, as carried or required to be carried 
        by full-power stations in the digital television service;
            (2) information, in both English and Spanish, and 
        accessible to persons with disabilities, concerning--
                    (A) the digital television transition, including 
                the fact that a transition has taken place and that 
                additional action is required to continue receiving 
                television service, including emergency notifications; 
                and
                    (B) the steps required to enable viewers to receive 
                such emergency information via the digital television 
                service and to convert to receiving digital television 
                service, including a phone number and Internet address 
                by which help with such transition may be obtained in 
                both English and Spanish; and
            (3) such other information as the Commission may find to be 
        consistent with the public interest.
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