[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 10, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S3546]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LEAHY (for himself and Mr. Grassley):
  S. 2454. A bill to amend title 17, United States Code, to extend 
expiring provisions of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism 
Act of 2010; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I join today with Senator Grassley to 
introduce legislation to reauthorize for another 5 years expiring 
provisions of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act, 
STELA. This law provides satellite television carriers with the 
necessary rights to retransmit distant broadcast television programming 
to households that are otherwise unable to receive local signal over-
the-air. If Congress does not act by the end of the year to reauthorize 
the distant signal license, approximately 1.5 million consumers will 
lose access to the broadcast television programming that they are 
currently receiving.
  The compulsory copyright license system for satellite television has 
been successful in promoting competition in the video marketplace. 
Consumers across the country benefit from having nationwide competitors 
to cable. Rural consumers, including many in Vermont, rely on a healthy 
satellite industry that is able to provide service to customers where 
cable is unable to reach. Congress has helped to facilitate the growth 
of the satellite industry by providing it with a mechanism to clear the 
rights to broadcast television content, which remains among the most 
popular.
  Senator Grassley and I are continuing what has always been a 
bipartisan partnership on satellite television legislation. I worked 
with Senator Hatch in 1999 to establish a permanent license allowing 
satellite carriers to retransmit local television content to consumers. 
That license has had an important impact on competition in the video 
market. In 2010, I worked with Senator Sessions on STELA. Satellite 
television legislation should never be partisan--it should be an 
opportunity for Democrats and Republicans to come together and 
demonstrate to the American people that we can act responsibly and 
prevent serious disruption to consumers.
  The bill we are introducing today is a narrow approach. We are 
extending the current system for another 5 years, while also making 
some minor technical corrections to the existing statutes. This bill 
may not please all stakeholders. Some would like Congress to use this 
legislation as a vehicle to enact significant changes to the current 
system that governs the relationship between broadcast television 
stations and distributors. Others would prefer that Congress not act at 
all and simply allow this license to expire. My focus is on the 
consumers who stand to lose access to broadcast television content in 
the event that Congress is unable to pass a bill by the end of the 
year. This bill will ensure that they are not left in the dark come 
December 31.
  Our legislation is one half of what the Senate will have to do in 
order to ensure that 1.5 million consumers are able to maintain the 
broadcast television signals that they are currently receiving. I look 
forward to working with Chairman Rockefeller as we work to fit the 
necessary Copyright and Communications Act provisions of this bill 
together. I also look forward to working with our counterparts in the 
House in order to protect the consumers relying on this license.
  I urge the Senate to support extending STELA for another 5 years.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 2454

       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 ``Satellite Television Access 
     Reauthorization Act of 2014''.

     SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION.

       Chapter 1 of title 17, United States Code, is amended--
       (1) in section 111(d)(3)--
       (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking 
     ``clause'' and inserting ``paragraph''; and
       (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``clause'' and 
     inserting ``paragraph''; and
       (2) in section 119--
       (A) in subsection (a)(6)(E), in the undesignated matter 
     following clause (iii), by striking ``clause (i)'' and 
     inserting ``subparagraph (B)(i)'';
       (B) in subsection (c)(1)(E), by striking ``2014'' and 
     inserting ``2019'';
       (C) in subsection (e), by striking ``2014'' and inserting 
     ``2019''; and
       (D) in subsection (g)(7)(C), by inserting ``the'' before 
     ``Communications''.

     SEC. 3. TERMINATION OF LICENSE.

       (a) In General.--Section 119 of title 17, United States 
     Code, as amended in section 2, is amended by adding at the 
     end the following:
       ``(h) Termination of License.--This section shall cease to 
     be effective on December 31, 2019.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 107(a) of the Satellite 
     Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 (17 U.S.C. 119 
     note) is repealed.
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