H.R. 4208 · 117th Congress
Section 331 Obligation Clarification Act
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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 117th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.
D
PascrellSponsor2 cosponsors · 1 D, 1 R
2 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.
This bill specifies that certain service obligations owed by the licensee of a commercial television broadcast station apply regardless of the broadcast frequency used by the licensee.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Jun 28, 2021
Section 331 Obligation Clarification Act
This bill specifies that certain service obligations owed by the licensee of a commercial television broadcast station apply regardless of the broadcast frequency used by the licensee.
Specifically, the bill provides that a licensee making a change from a very high frequency (VHF) broadcast station to an ultrahigh frequency (UHF) broadcast station must ensure the change does not affect its obligation to provide service to its customers. The bill also requires such a licensee to (1) broadcast at least 14 hours of common local programming per week, (2) include a substantial amount of particularized local content, and (3) maintain a studio in the station's community.
The bill further provides for the reallocation of a station to a community where there is no VHF or UHF station.
The Government Accountability Office must examine and report on the process used by the Federal Communications Commission for renewing broadcast television licenses to determine if that process meets specified obligations. In particular, the GAO must review how the process relates to television broadcast stations with specific obligations to serve the needs of their local communities.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Section 331 Obligation Clarification Act
Latest action (Jun 29, 2021): Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications · Origin: House · Introduced: Jun 28, 2021
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.