[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 661 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 661

 To provide additional coupons for the digital-to-analog converter box 
    program and to expedite delivery of coupons under such program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 23, 2009

 Mr. Barton of Texas (for himself, Mr. Stearns, Mr. Upton, Mr. Terry, 
  Mr. Walden, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Radanovich, Mr. Gingrey of Georgia, Mr. 
 Shimkus, Mr. Whitfield, and Mrs. Blackburn) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide additional coupons for the digital-to-analog converter box 
    program and to expedite delivery of coupons under such program.

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

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) After significant work educating the people of the 
        United States about the February 17, 2009, digital television 
        transition, efforts to delay the transition will confuse 
        people, leaving them less, rather than more, prepared. Delay 
        will--
                    (A) not move a single consumer off of the waiting 
                list for analog-to-digital converter box coupons;
                    (B) require an additional appropriation of $650 
                million in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 
                of 2009;
                    (C) jeopardize the availability of the spectrum 
                that the transition clears for police, firefighters, 
                and emergency personnel (spectrum that public safety 
                officials stated 5 years to the day before September 
                11, 2001, they needed), and jeopardize that spectrum 
                despite the support in the 2004 report of the 9/11 
                Commission for legislation setting an even earlier firm 
                date; and
                    (D) jeopardize the availability of the spectrum 
                that the transition clears for advanced wireless 
                services, perhaps our Nation's best and quickest way to 
                improve broadband deployment, stimulating the economy 
                and creating job growth.
            (2) The program sending households up to 2 coupons, each 
        worth $40, to use for the purchase of analog-to-digital 
        converter boxes is not out of funds. Only approximately half of 
        the $1.5 billion in the coupon program has been spent on 
        redeemed coupons; the other half remains in circulation, which 
        is why there is a waiting list. Under current law, the coupons 
        expire 90 days after issuance if not redeemed. Approximately 
        300,000 coupons expire every week, and the recouped funding is 
        used to send more coupons.
            (3) In a January 14, 2009, letter, the Commerce Department 
        said that the National Telecommunications and Information 
        Administration could immediately resume sending coupons even 
        before existing ones expire if Congress authorized another $250 
        million for the program. The Treasury of the United States 
        might even recoup those funds because of unredeemed coupons 
        that expire at the end of the program.
            (4) Industry has spent more than $1 billion successfully 
        educating consumers about the transition and the February 17, 
        2009, transition date. According to Nielsen, as of the end of 
        November 2008, approximately 93 percent of television 
        households already had one or more televisions ready for the 
        transition because the televisions had a digital tuner, were 
        connected to cable or satellite service, or were connected to a 
        converter box. Approximately 83 percent of television 
        households had all their televisions ready.
            (5) Only households that rely exclusively on over-the-air 
        antennas to receive television service and that do not have a 
        digital television or a converter box are at risk of losing all 
        television service. According to Nielsen, there are 
        approximately 14.3 million exclusively over-the-air households. 
        The National Telecommunications and Information Administration 
        reports that it has already sent coupons to approximately 13.5 
        million households that identify themselves as relying 
        exclusively on over-the-air antennas. Thus, only 800,000 
        exclusively over-the-air households have not yet received a 
        coupon. Approximately 600,000 of those households are on the 
        waiting list to receive a coupon. Authorizing an additional 
        $250 million for the coupon program should help those 
        households receive coupons before the transition date.
            (6) Based on these figures, only 200,000 households could 
        lose all service if such households do not take action. Such 
        households represent less than 2 percent of exclusively over-
        the-air households, and less than two-tenths of one percent of 
        all television households. Such a small number of households 
        with the potential to lose service is not reason enough to 
        delay the transition. Government and industry can help 
        households get coupons and converter boxes if such households 
        want them, but a small group will always be unprepared no 
        matter what the government and industry do. In addition, 
        households can always get a converter box without a coupon, 
        either before or after the transition. The converter boxes only 
        cost $40 to $80. Such households have additional options, as 
        well, by which they can receive television service.

SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL COUPONS.

    (a) Amendment.--Section 3005 of the Digital Television Transition 
and Public Safety Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-171; 120 Stat. 23) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (b), by striking ``$1,500,000,000'' and 
        inserting ``$1,750,000,000''; and
            (2) in subsection (c)(3)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A)(i), by striking ``by 
                substituting `$160,000,000''' and inserting ``by 
                substituting `$170,000,000'''; and
                    (B) by striking ``by substituting 
                `$1,500,000,000''' each place it appears in 
                subparagraphs (A)(ii) and (B) and inserting ``by 
                substituting `$1,750,000,000'''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 309(j)(8)(E)(iii) of the 
Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 309(j)(8)(E)(iii)) is amended by 
striking ``$7,363,000,000'' and inserting ``$7,113,000,000''.

SEC. 3. EXPEDITING DELIVERY.

    Not later than 7 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information of the 
Department of Commerce shall expedite the distribution of coupons 
issued under section 3005 of the Digital Television Transition and 
Public Safety Act of 2005 by directing that such coupons shall be 
delivered via pre-sorted first class mail service until February 17, 
2009. The Assistant Secretary shall continue to direct that such 
coupons be delivered by such service subsequent to such date if the 
Assistant Secretary determines that doing so will significantly improve 
coupon redemption rates without jeopardizing the availability of 
administrative funds.

SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF AUCTION AUTHORITY.

    Section 309(j)(11) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
309(j)(11)) is amended by striking ``2011'' and inserting ``2012''.
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