[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 150 (Monday, September 18, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5809-S5810]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1096. Mr. McCAIN (for Mr. Graham (for himself and Mr. Whitehouse)) 
proposed an amendment to the bill H.R. 2810, to authorize 
appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for military activities of the 
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense 
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel 
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following:

     SEC. _____. CARRIAGE OF CERTAIN PROGRAMMING.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section--
       (1) the term ``local commercial television station'' has 
     the meaning given the term in section 614(h) of the 
     Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 534(h));
       (2) the term ``multichannel video programming distributor'' 
     has the meaning given the term in section 602 of the 
     Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 522);
       (3) the term ``qualified noncommercial educational 
     television station'' has the meaning given the term in 
     section 615(l) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
     535(l));
       (4) the term ``retransmission consent'' means the authority 
     granted to a multichannel video programming distributor under 
     section 325(b) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 
     325(b)) to retransmit the signal of a television broadcast 
     station; and
       (5) the term ``television broadcast station'' has the 
     meaning given the term in section 76.66(a) of title 47, Code 
     of Federal Regulations.
       (b) Carriage of Certain Content.--Notwithstanding any other 
     provision of law, a multichannel video programming 
     distributor may not be directly or indirectly required, 
     including as a condition of obtaining retransmission consent, 
     to--
       (1) carry non-incidental video content from a local 
     commercial television station, qualified noncommercial 
     educational television station, or television broadcast 
     station to the extent that such content is owned, controlled, 
     or financed (in whole or in part) by

[[Page S5810]]

     the Government of the Russian Federation; or
       (2) lease, or otherwise make available, channel capacity to 
     any person for the provision of video programming that is 
     owned, controlled, or financed (in whole or in part) by the 
     Government of the Russian Federation.
       (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be 
     construed as applying to the editorial use by a local 
     commercial television station, qualified noncommercial 
     educational television station, or television broadcast 
     station of programming that is owned, controlled, or financed 
     (in whole or in part) by the Government of the Russian 
     Federation.
                                 ______