1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Consumer Access to Broadband for Local Economies and Competition Act” or the “CABLE Competition Act”.
Consumer Access to Broadband for Local Economies and Competition Act
A BILL
To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit franchising authorities from requiring approval for the sale of cable systems, and for other purposes.
2. Sales of cable systems
In general— Section 621 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 541) is amended by adding at the end the following:
“(g)
“(1) A franchising authority may not—
“(A) preclude a cable operator from transferring a franchise to a person to which such franchise was not initially granted; or
“(B) require a cable operator to which a franchise is initially granted to receive approval from the franchising authority for the transfer of such franchise to a person who to which such franchise was not initially granted.
“(2) In the case of the transfer of a franchise to a person to which such franchise was not originally granted, a franchising authority may require a cable operator to which a franchise was initially granted to, not later than 15 days after a transfer of a franchise, notify the franchising authority in writing of such transfer.
“(3) In this subsection, the term transfer means the assignment rights under a franchise through any transaction, including a merger, sale, assignment, restructuring, or transfer of control of a cable operator or a cable system.”
Effective date— This section, and the amendment made by subsection (a), shall take effect 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Application— This section, and the amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to a franchise granted—
on or after the effective date established by subsection (b); or
before such date, if such franchise (including any renewal term thereof) is in effect on such date.