[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4504 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4504

To authorize the Federal Communications Commission to issue regulations 
   against the censorship of Internet search results, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 26, 2010

  Mr. Foster introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
  Foreign Affairs, 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 authorize the Federal Communications Commission to issue regulations 
   against the censorship of Internet search results, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``Standards for Internet Non-
Censorship Act of 2010'' or the ``SINC Act of 2010''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Internet has been a tremendous force for freedom 
        and economic development worldwide.
            (2) In recent years, Internet freedom has been compromised 
        by repressive regimes that use this technology to control the 
        free flow of information and to limit nonviolent political 
        debate.
            (3) One of the most egregious violations of Internet 
        freedom has been the enforcement of arbitrary and politically 
        motivated censorship of search engines by repressive regimes 
        that often force search providers to censor search results 
        domestically and globally as a condition of doing business.
            (4) Access to United States Web sites by search engines 
        around the world provides billions of dollars of market value 
        to the owners of these search engines.
            (5) Search engines under the control of repressive regimes 
        receive the economic benefit of accessing United States Web 
        sites and use this access to provide an incomplete and 
        distorted view of the United States and the world.
            (6) Repressive control and censorship of the Internet will 
        continue to be a significant international issue that requires 
        decisive action from the United States and other free 
        countries.
            (7) The long-term future of the Internet as an unfettered 
        source of nonviolent free speech will depend on the worldwide 
        adoption of minimum standards of non-censorship.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the President should promptly establish interim minimum 
        standards of non-censorship for Internet search providers and 
        create programs to restrict access to domestic online 
        information by search providers determined to be censoring 
        nonviolent political speech;
            (2) any long-term solution to the problem of the censorship 
        of nonviolent political speech on the Internet must include 
        minimum standards of non-censorship set by a coalition of free 
        countries; and
            (3) the President should begin negotiations with free 
        countries to adopt minimum standards for non-censorship of 
        nonviolent political speech as a condition for access to the 
        Internet.

SEC. 4. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION REGULATION AGAINST 
              CENSORSHIP.

    (a) Regulations Against Censorship Authorized.--The Commission may 
commence a proceeding to adopt regulations to restrict repressive 
Internet search providers from accessing domestic online information.
    (b) Web Site.--If the Commission adopts regulations under 
subsection (a), the Commission shall develop, operate, and maintain a 
public Web site that lists such repressive Internet search providers 
and the reasons for finding that such Internet search providers were 
repressive.
    (c) Enforcement Authorized.--The Commission may enforce the 
regulations under subsection (a) using any existing enforcement 
authority to prevent Internet search providers and any other person or 
entity from colluding to evade such regulations.

SEC. 5. DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNATIONAL MINIMUM STANDARDS OF NON-
              CENSORSHIP FOR THE INTERNET.

    (a) International Agreements.--The Secretary of State, in 
consultation with the Commission, shall seek to enter into agreements 
with appropriate representatives of free countries to adopt minimum 
standards to prevent censorship of nonviolent political speech on the 
Internet as a condition for connection to the Internet.
    (b) Restriction of the Internet.--Not earlier than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Commission may commence a proceeding 
to adopt regulations to restrict or prevent foreign countries and other 
entities that operate outside of any agreements made pursuant to 
subsection (a) from accessing domestic online information.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Communications Commission.
            (2) Free country.--The term ``free country'' means a 
        foreign country that does not censor nonviolent political 
        speech on the Internet.
            (3) Internet.--The term ``Internet'' has the meaning given 
        the term in section 231(e) of the Communications Act of 1934 
        (47 U.S.C. 231(e)).
            (4) Domestic online information.--The term ``domestic 
        online information'' means Web sites, databases, and other 
        digital information that is housed or hosted on computers 
        located in the United States or any territory or possession of 
        the United States.
            (5) Repressive internet search provider.--The term 
        ``repressive Internet search provider'' means an Internet 
        search provider that censors search results for the purpose of 
        suppressing nonviolent political speech.
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