H.R. 4572 — what changed
STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014
From Reported in House to Engrossed in House. 2 sections amended, 11 added, and 8 removed between Reported in House and Engrossed in House.
Section 1 Short title; table of contents
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Short title— This Act may be cited as the “STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014”.
added
Table of contents— The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
removed
This Act may be cited as the “STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014”.
Sec. 2 No additional appropriations authorized
changed
Section 325(b) of No additional funds are authorized to carry out this Act, or the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 325(b)) is amended—amendments made by this Act. This Act, and the amendments made by this Act, shall be carried out using amounts otherwise authorized or appropriated.
removed
in paragraph (2)(C), by striking “December 31, 2014” and inserting “December 31, 2019”; and
removed
in paragraph (3)(C), by striking “January 1, 2015” each place it appears and inserting “January 1, 2020”.
Sec. 3 Retransmission consent negotiations
removed
removed
In general— Section 325(b)(3)(C) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 325(b)(3)(C)) is amended—
removed
in clause (ii), by striking “and” at the end;
removed
in clause (iii), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
removed
by adding at the end the following:
removed
“(iv) prohibit a television broadcast station from coordinating negotiations or negotiating on a joint basis with another television broadcast station in the same local market (as defined in section 122(j) of title 17, United States Code) to grant retransmission consent under this section to a multichannel video programming distributor, unless such stations are directly or indirectly under common de jure control permitted under the regulations of the Commission.”
removed
Margin correction— Section 325(b)(3)(C) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 325(b)(3)(C)) is further amended by moving the margin of clause (iii) 4 ems to the left.
removed
Deadline for regulations— Not later than 9 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall promulgate regulations to implement the amendments made by this section.
Sec. 4 Delayed application of JSA attribution rule in case of waiver petition
removed
removed
In the case of a party to a joint sales agreement (as defined in Note 2(k) to section 73.3555 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations) that is in effect on the effective date of the amendment to Note 2(k)(2) to such section made by the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Report and Order adopted by the Commission on March 31, 2014 (FCC 14–28), and who, not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, submits to the Commission a petition for a waiver of the application to such agreement of the rule in such Note 2(k)(2) (as so amended), such party shall not be considered to be in violation of the ownership limitations of such section by reason of the application of such rule to such agreement until the later of—
removed
the date that is 18 months after the date on which the Commission denies such petition; or
removed
December 31, 2016.
Sec. 5 Deletion or repositioning of stations during certain periods
removed
removed
In general— Section 614(b)(9) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 534(b)(9)) is amended by striking the second sentence.
removed
Revision of rules— Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall revise section 76.1601 of its rules (47 CFR 76.1601) and any note to such section by removing the prohibition against deletion or repositioning of a local commercial television station during a period in which major television ratings services measure the size of audiences of local television stations.
Sec. 6 Repeal of integration ban
removed
removed
No force or effect— The second sentence of section 76.1204(a)(1) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, shall have no force or effect after the date of the enactment of this Act.
removed
Removal from rules— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall complete all actions necessary to remove the sentence described in subsection (a) from its rules.
Sec. 7 Report on communications implications of statutory licensing modifications
removed
removed
Study— The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study that analyzes and evaluates the changes to the carriage requirements currently imposed on multichannel video programming distributors under the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.) and the regulations promulgated by the Commission that would be required or beneficial to consumers, and such other matters as the Comptroller General considers appropriate, if Congress implemented a phase-out of the current statutory licensing requirements set forth under sections 111, 119, and 122 of title 17, United States Code. Among other things, the study shall consider the impact such a phase-out and related changes to carriage requirements would have on consumer prices and access to programming.
removed
Report— Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the results of the study conducted under subsection (a), including any recommendations for legislative or administrative actions. Such report shall also include a discussion of any differences between such results and the results of the study conducted under section 303 of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 (124 Stat. 1255).
Sec. 8 Local network channel broadcast reports
removed
removed
Requirement—
removed
In general— On the 270th day after the date of the enactment of this Act, and on each succeeding anniversary of such 270th day, each satellite carrier shall submit an annual report to the Commission setting forth—
removed
each local market in which it—
removed
retransmits signals of 1 or more television broadcast stations with a community of license in that market;
removed
has commenced providing such signals in the preceding 1-year period; and
removed
has ceased to provide such signals in the preceding 1-year period; and
removed
detailed information regarding the use and potential use of satellite capacity for the retransmission of local signals in each local market.
removed
Termination— The requirement under paragraph (1) shall cease after each satellite carrier has submitted 5 reports under such paragraph.
removed
Definitions— In this section—
removed
the terms “local market” and “satellite carrier” have the meaning given such terms in section 339(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 339(d)); and
removed
the term “television broadcast station” has the meaning given such term in section 325(b)(7) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 325(b)(7)).
Sec. 9 Report on designated market areas
removed
removed
Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report containing an analysis of—
removed
the extent to which consumers in each local market (as defined in section 122(j) of title 17, United States Code) have access to broadcast programming from television broadcast stations (as defined in section 325(b)(7) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 325(b)(7))) located outside their local market, including through carriage by cable operators and satellite carriers of signals that are significantly viewed (within the meaning of section 340 of such Act (47 U.S.C. 340)); and
removed
whether there are technologically and economically feasible alternatives to the use of designated market areas (as defined in section 122(j) of title 17, United States Code) to define markets that would provide consumers with more programming options and the potential impact such alternatives could have on localism and on broadcast television locally, regionally, and nationally.
Sec. 10 Definitions
removed
removed
In this Act:
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Appropriate congressional committees— The term “appropriate congressional committees” means the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate.
removed
Commission— The term “Commission” means the Federal Communications Commission.
Sec. 101 Extension of authority
addedadded Section 325(b) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 325(b)) is amended—
added
in paragraph (2)(C), by striking “December 31, 2014” and inserting “December 31, 2019”; and
added
in paragraph (3)(C), by striking “January 1, 2015” each place it appears and inserting “January 1, 2020”.
Sec. 102 Retransmission consent negotiations
added
added
In general— Section 325(b)(3)(C) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 325(b)(3)(C)) is amended—
added
in clause (ii), by striking “and” at the end;
added
in clause (iii), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
added
by adding at the end the following:
added “(iv) prohibit a television broadcast station from coordinating negotiations or negotiating on a joint basis with another television broadcast station in the same local market (as defined in section 122(j) of title 17, United States Code) to grant retransmission consent under this section to a multichannel video programming distributor, unless such stations are directly or indirectly under common de jure control permitted under the regulations of the Commission.”
added
Margin correction— Section 325(b)(3)(C) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 325(b)(3)(C)) is further amended by moving the margin of clause (iii) 4 ems to the left.
added
Deadline for regulations— Not later than 9 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall promulgate regulations to implement the amendments made by this section.
Sec. 103 Delayed application of JSA attribution rule in case of waiver petition
addedadded In the case of a party to a joint sales agreement (as defined in Note 2(k) to section 73.3555 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations) that is in effect on the effective date of the amendment to Note 2(k)(2) to such section made by the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Report and Order adopted by the Commission on March 31, 2014 (FCC 14–28), and who, not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, submits to the Commission a petition for a waiver of the application to such agreement of the rule in such Note 2(k)(2) (as so amended), such party shall not be considered to be in violation of the ownership limitations of such section by reason of the application of such rule to such agreement until the later of—
added
the date that is 18 months after the date on which the Commission denies such petition; or
added
December 31, 2016.
Sec. 104 Deletion or repositioning of stations during certain periods
added
added
In general— Section 614(b)(9) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 534(b)(9)) is amended by striking the second sentence.
added
Revision of rules— Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall revise section 76.1601 of its rules (47 CFR 76.1601) and any note to such section by removing the prohibition against deletion or repositioning of a local commercial television station during a period in which major television ratings services measure the size of audiences of local television stations.
Sec. 105 Repeal of integration ban
added
added
No force or effect— The second sentence of section 76.1204(a)(1) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, shall have no force or effect after the date of the enactment of this Act.
added
Removal from rules— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall complete all actions necessary to remove the sentence described in subsection (a) from its rules.
Sec. 106 Report on communications implications of statutory licensing modifications
added
added
Study— The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study that analyzes and evaluates the changes to the carriage requirements currently imposed on multichannel video programming distributors under the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.) and the regulations promulgated by the Commission that would be required or beneficial to consumers, and such other matters as the Comptroller General considers appropriate, if Congress implemented a phase-out of the current statutory licensing requirements set forth under sections 111, 119, and 122 of title 17, United States Code. Among other things, the study shall consider the impact such a phase-out and related changes to carriage requirements would have on consumer prices and access to programming.
added
Report— Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the results of the study conducted under subsection (a), including any recommendations for legislative or administrative actions. Such report shall also include a discussion of any differences between such results and the results of the study conducted under section 303 of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 (124 Stat. 1255).
Sec. 107 Local network channel broadcast reports
added
added
Requirement—
added
In general— On the 270th day after the date of the enactment of this Act, and on each succeeding anniversary of such 270th day, each satellite carrier shall submit an annual report to the Commission setting forth—
added
each local market in which it—
added
retransmits signals of 1 or more television broadcast stations with a community of license in that market;
added
has commenced providing such signals in the preceding 1-year period; and
added
has ceased to provide such signals in the preceding 1-year period; and
added
detailed information regarding the use and potential use of satellite capacity for the retransmission of local signals in each local market.
added
Termination— The requirement under paragraph (1) shall cease after each satellite carrier has submitted 5 reports under such paragraph.
added
Definitions— In this section—
added
the terms “local market” and “satellite carrier” have the meaning given such terms in section 339(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 339(d)); and
added
the term “television broadcast station” has the meaning given such term in section 325(b)(7) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 325(b)(7)).
Sec. 108 Report on designated market areas
addedadded Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report containing an analysis of—
added
the extent to which consumers in each local market (as defined in section 122(j) of title 17, United States Code) have access to broadcast programming from television broadcast stations (as defined in section 325(b)(7) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 325(b)(7))) located outside their local market, including through carriage by cable operators and satellite carriers of signals that are significantly viewed (within the meaning of section 340 of such Act (47 U.S.C. 340)); and
added
whether there are technologically and economically feasible alternatives to the use of designated market areas (as defined in section 122(j) of title 17, United States Code) to define markets that would provide consumers with more programming options and the potential impact such alternatives could have on localism and on broadcast television locally, regionally, and nationally.
Sec. 109 Definitions
addedadded In this title:
added
Appropriate congressional committees— The term “appropriate congressional committees” means the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate.
added
Commission— The term “Commission” means the Federal Communications Commission.
Sec. 201 Reauthorization
addedadded Chapter 1 of title 17, United States Code, is amended—
added
in section 111(d)(3)—
added
in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking “clause” and inserting “paragraph”; and
added
in subparagraph (B), by striking “clause” and inserting “paragraph”; and
added
in section 119—
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in subsection (c)(1)(E), by striking “2014” and inserting “2019”; and
added
in subsection (e), by striking “2014” and inserting “2019”.
Sec. 202 Termination of license
added
added
In general— Section 119 of title 17, United States Code, as amended in section 201, is amended by adding at the end the following:
added “(h) Termination of license—This section shall cease to be effective on December 31, 2019.”
added
Conforming amendment— Section 107(a) of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 (17 U.S.C. 119 note) is repealed.