[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1555 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1555

To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require cable operators and 
 internet service providers who are subject to State fines to submit a 
                    report, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 6, 2019

 Mr. Brindisi introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to require cable operators and 
 internet service providers who are subject to State fines to submit a 
                    report, 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 ``Transparency for Cable Consumers 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FCC REPORTING REQUIREMENT FOR CABLE OPERATORS AND INTERNET 
              SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO ARE SUBJECT TO STATE FINES.

    Title VII of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 601 et. 
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

``SEC. 723. REPORTING REQUIREMENT FOR CABLE OPERATORS AND INTERNET 
              SERVICE PROVIDERS SUBJECT TO STATE FINES AND PENALTIES.

    ``(a) Report Required.--Not later than October 1 of each year for a 
period of ten years that begins the year following a year in which a 
cable operator or internet service provider begins making payments to a 
State that qualifies the operator or provider as a covered entity, the 
covered entity shall submit to the Commission a report that includes 
the following:
            ``(1) The total number of customers the covered entity has 
        in each county in which the covered entity operates in that 
        State. For the second through tenth such report, the percentage 
        increase or decrease from the previous 12 months for each such 
        county.
            ``(2) The average monthly customer billed amount in each 
        county in which the covered entity operates in that State for 
        the previous 12 months. For the second through tenth such 
        report, the percentage increase or decrease from the previous 
        12 months for each county.
            ``(3) In the case of a cable provider that is a covered 
        entity, the average billed amount for cable service for each 
        county in which the covered entity operates in that State for 
        the previous 12 months.
            ``(4) In the case of an internet service provider that is a 
        covered entity, the average billed amount for broadband 
        internet service for each county in which the covered entity 
        operates in that State for the previous 12 months.
            ``(5) In the case of a covered entity that is a cable 
        operator and an internet service provider, a separate report 
        for both the average billed amount for cable service and the 
        average billed amount for broadband internet service for each 
        county in which the covered entity operates in that State for 
        the previous 12 months.
            ``(6) The average internet speeds delivered to customers in 
        each county in which the covered entity has operated in that 
        State for the previous 12 months, including the average upload 
        and download speed. For years 2-10 of the reporting 
        requirement, this must also include the percentage increase or 
        decrease from the previous year for each county.
            ``(7) A list of all additional fees which appeared on 
        customers' bills during the past 12 months as well as the 
        average charge for each fee for each county in which the 
        company operates in that State. For the second through tenth 
        such report, the percentage increase or decrease from the 
        previous 12 months for each county.
    ``(b) Submission to Congress.--Not later than 30 days after the 
date on which the Commission receives a report under subsection (a), 
the Commission shall submit such report to each Member of Congress from 
the relevant State.
    ``(c) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Broadband internet service.--The term `broadband 
        internet service'--
                    ``(A) means a mass-market retail service by wire or 
                radio that provides the capability to transmit data to 
                and receive data from all or substantially all internet 
                endpoints, including any capabilities that are 
                incidental to and enable the operation of the 
                communications service;
                    ``(B) does not include dial-up internet access 
                service; and
                    ``(C) includes any service that the Commission 
                finds to be providing a functional equivalent of the 
                service described in subparagraph (A) or that is used 
                to evade the protections set forth in part 8 of title 
                47, Code of Federal Regulations.
            ``(2) Cable operator; cable service.--The terms `cable 
        operator' and `cable service' have the meanings given those 
        terms in section 602.
            ``(3) County.--The term `county' includes a parish or 
        borough.
            ``(4) Covered entity.--The term `covered entity' means a 
        cable operator or internet service provider that is directed by 
        a State Public Service Commission or State Department of Public 
        Service to pay $1,000,000 or more to the State in fines or 
        penalties.
            ``(5) Internet service provider.--The term `internet 
        service provider' means any person or group of persons that 
        provides broadband internet access service.
            ``(6) Member of congress.--The term `Member of Congress' 
        means a Senator or a Representative in, or Delegate or Resident 
        Commissioner to, the Congress.''.
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