[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 94 (Wednesday, June 5, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S3267]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         MEASURING THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF BROADBAND ACT OF 2019

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee be discharged from 
further consideration of S. 1289 and that the Senate proceed to its 
immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 1289) to require the Secretary of Commerce to 
     conduct an assessment and analysis of the effects of 
     broadband deployment and adoption on the economy of the 
     United States, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the 
Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I further ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no 
intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 1289) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed, as follows:

                                S. 1289

       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 ``Measuring the Economic 
     Impact of Broadband Act of 2019''.

     SEC. 2. ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS REGARDING THE EFFECT OF THE 
                   DIGITAL ECONOMY ON THE ECONOMY OF THE UNITED 
                   STATES.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
     ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
     of the Senate;
       (B) the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the 
     Senate;
       (C) the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of 
     the Senate;
       (D) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of 
     Representatives;
       (E) the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of 
     the House of Representatives; and
       (F) the Committee on Small Business of the House of 
     Representatives.
       (2) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary'' 
     means the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications 
     and Information.
       (3) Broadband.--The term ``broadband'' means an Internet 
     Protocol-based transmission service that enables users to 
     send and receive voice, video, data, or graphics, or a 
     combination of those items.
       (4) Digital economy.--
       (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the term 
     ``digital economy'' has the meaning given the term by the 
     Secretary in carrying out this section.
       (B) Considerations.--In establishing a definition for the 
     term ``digital economy'' under subparagraph (A), the 
     Secretary shall consider--
       (i) the digital-enabling infrastructure that a computer 
     network needs to exist and operate; and
       (ii) the roles of e-commerce and digital media.
       (5) Digital media.--The term ``digital media'' means the 
     content that participants in e-commerce create and access.
       (6) E-commerce.--The term ``e-commerce'' means the digital 
     transactions that take place using the infrastructure 
     described in paragraph (4)(B)(i).
       (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Commerce.
       (b) Biennial Assessment and Analysis Required.--Not later 
     than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and 
     biennially thereafter, the Secretary, in consultation with 
     the Director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the 
     Department of Commerce and the Assistant Secretary, shall 
     conduct an assessment and analysis regarding the contribution 
     of the digital economy to the economy of the United States.
       (c) Considerations and Consultation.--In conducting each 
     assessment and analysis required under subsection (b), the 
     Secretary shall--
       (1) consider the impact of--
       (A) the deployment and adoption of--
       (i) digital-enabling infrastructure; and
       (ii) broadband;
       (B) e-commerce and platform-enabled peer-to-peer commerce; 
     and
       (C) the production and consumption of digital media, 
     including free media; and
       (2) consult with--
       (A) the heads of any agencies and offices of the Federal 
     Government as the Secretary considers appropriate, including 
     the Secretary of Agriculture, the Commissioner of the Bureau 
     of Labor Statistics, the Administrator of the Small Business 
     Administration, and the Federal Communications Commission;
       (B) representatives of the business community, including 
     rural and urban internet service providers and 
     telecommunications infrastructure providers;
       (C) representatives from State, local, and tribal 
     government agencies; and
       (D) representatives from consumer and community 
     organizations.
       (d) Report.--The Secretary shall submit to the appropriate 
     committees of Congress a report regarding the findings of the 
     Secretary with respect to each assessment and analysis 
     conducted under subsection (b).

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