[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 65 (Monday, May 23, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 23, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
  SENATE ACTION ON SATELLITE COMPULSORY LICENSE EXTENSION ACT OF 1994

  Mr. LEAHY. Last week the Congress took another important step toward 
extending the Satellite Home Viewer Act when the Senate passed S. 1485, 
the Satellite Compulsory License Extension Act. This bill will extend 
the statutory compulsory copyright license for satellite home viewing 
for another 5 years.
  When I announced my cosponsorship of this bill on March 3, I came to 
the Senate floor and asked my colleagues to move promptly to reassure 
the thousands of families in Vermont and millions of households 
nationwide that their home satellite dishes would not go dark at the 
end of this year. Well, the Senate has acted. I rise to thank my Senate 
colleagues for their attention to this important measure.
  In the last 10 weeks, under the able leadership of Senator DeConcini, 
the Senate Subcommittee on Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks marked up 
the bill and passed it unanimously, the Senate Judiciary Committee 
unanimously reported it favorably to the full Senate and now the Senate 
has passed it by voice vote and without objection.
  I now urge our House colleagues to act promptly and adopt this 
consensus bill. It is important that Congress assure those people who 
receive programming for satellite services that this bill will pass and 
be signed into law before the expiration of affiliates that the bill 
clarify their status so that they can provide the largest viewing 
audience with professional football telecasts starting late this 
summer. Time remains of the essence.
  There is every reason for Congress to complete action promptly on 
this bill. It should not be subject to delay. The legislative docket is 
increasingly being filled with matters that will soon require our full 
attention. The crime bill, health care reform, a Supreme Court 
nomination, and appropriation bills all will require our time in the 
weeks ahead. I urge our friends in the House to consider and adopt the 
Senate bill and eliminate any need for a conference so that this 
legislation can be sent to the President without further delay.
  I will continue working for uninterrupted service to the thousands of 
viewers in mountainous or remote regions of Vermont who would be 
unserved were it not for satellite reception. I thank my colleagues for 
their interest in ensuring that our constituents in rural areas have 
this opportunity to participate by satellite in the widest possible 
array of news, sports, entertainment, educational, and informational 
programming.

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