[House Report 116-329]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


116th Congress    }                                            {   Report
                          HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
  1st Session     }                                            {  116-329

======================================================================



 
                TELEVISION VIEWER PROTECTION ACT OF 2019

                                _______
                                

  December  9, 2019.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
            the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

 Mr. Pallone, from the Committee on Energy and Commerce, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 5035]

    The Committee on Energy and Commerce, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 5035) to amend the Communications Act of 1934 to 
extend expiring provisions relating to the retransmission of 
signals of television broadcast stations, and for other 
purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon 
with an amendment and recommend that the bill as amended do 
pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
  I. Purpose and Summary..............................................4
 II. Background and Need for Legislation..............................4
III. Committee Hearings...............................................5
 IV. Committee Consideration..........................................5
  V. Committee Votes..................................................7
 VI. Oversight Findings...............................................7
VII. New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures7
VIII.Federal Mandates Statement.......................................7

 IX. Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............7
  X. Duplication of Federal Programs..................................7
 XI. Committee Cost Estimate..........................................8
XII. Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff Benefits......8
XIII.Advisory Committee Statement.....................................8

XIV. Applicability to Legislative Branch..............................8
 XV. Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation...................8
XVI. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported...........10

    The amendment is as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``Television Viewer Protection Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY.

  Section 325(b) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 325(b)) 
is amended--
          (1) in paragraph (2)(C), by striking ``December 31, 2019'' 
        and inserting ``the expiration date, if any, described in 
        section 119(h) of title 17, United States Code''; and
          (2) in paragraph (3)(C), by striking ``until January 1, 
        2020,'' each place it appears.

SEC. 3. SATISFACTION OF GOOD FAITH NEGOTIATION REQUIREMENT BY 
                    MULTICHANNEL VIDEO PROGRAMMING DISTRIBUTORS.

  (a) Satisfaction of Good Faith Negotiation Requirement.--Section 
325(b)(3)(C) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 325(b)(3)(C)) 
is amended--
          (1) in clause (iv), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a 
        semicolon;
          (2) in clause (v), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``; and''; and
          (3) by adding at the end the following:
          ``(vi) not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment 
        of the Television Viewer Protection Act of 2019, specify that--
                  ``(I) a multichannel video programming distributor 
                may satisfy its obligation to negotiate in good faith 
                under clause (iii) with respect to a negotiation for 
                retransmission consent under this section with a large 
                station group by designating a qualified MVPD buying 
                group to negotiate on its behalf, so long as the 
                qualified MVPD buying group itself negotiates in good 
                faith in accordance with such clause;
                  ``(II) it is a violation of the obligation to 
                negotiate in good faith under clause (iii) for the 
                qualified MVPD buying group to disclose the prices, 
                terms, or conditions of an ongoing negotiation or the 
                final terms of a negotiation to a member of the 
                qualified MVPD buying group that is not intending, or 
                is unlikely, to enter into the final terms negotiated 
                by the qualified MVPD buying group; and
                  ``(III) a large station group has an obligation to 
                negotiate in good faith under clause (ii) with respect 
                to a negotiation for retransmission consent under this 
                section with a qualified MVPD buying group.''.
  (b) Definitions.--Section 325(b)(7) of the Communications Act of 1934 
(47 U.S.C. 325(b)(7)) is amended--
          (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``; and'' and inserting 
        a semicolon;
          (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting a semicolon; and
          (3) by adding at the end the following:
          ``(C) `qualified MVPD buying group' means an entity that, 
        with respect to a negotiation with a large station group for 
        retransmission consent under this section--
                  ``(i) negotiates on behalf of two or more 
                multichannel video programming distributors--
                          ``(I) none of which is a multichannel video 
                        programming distributor that serves more than 
                        500,000 subscribers nationally; and
                          ``(II) that do not collectively serve more 
                        than 25 percent of all households served by a 
                        multichannel video programming distributor in 
                        any single local market in which the applicable 
                        large station group operates; and
                  ``(ii) negotiates agreements for such retransmission 
                consent--
                          ``(I) that contain standardized contract 
                        provisions, including billing structures and 
                        technical quality standards, for each 
                        multichannel video programming distributor on 
                        behalf of which the entity negotiates; and
                          ``(II) under which the entity assumes 
                        liability to remit to the applicable large 
                        station group all fees received from the 
                        multichannel video programming distributors on 
                        behalf of which the entity negotiates;
          ``(D) `large station group' means a group of television 
        broadcast stations that--
                  ``(i) are directly or indirectly under common de jure 
                control permitted by the regulations of the Commission;
                  ``(ii) generally negotiate agreements for 
                retransmission consent under this section as a single 
                entity; and
                  ``(iii) include only television broadcast stations 
                that have a national audience reach of more than 20 
                percent;
          ``(E) `local market' has the meaning given such term in 
        section 122(j) of title 17, United States Code; and
          ``(F) `multichannel video programming distributor' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 602.''.
  (c) Conforming Amendments.--Section 325(b) of the Communications Act 
of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 325(b)) is amended--
          (1) in paragraph (2)--
                  (A) by inserting ``and'' after ``1992,''; and
                  (B) by striking ``, and the term `local market' has 
                the meaning given that term in section 122(j) of such 
                title''; and
          (2) in paragraph (3)(C), by striking ``(as defined in section 
        122(j) of title 17, United States Code)'' each place it 
        appears.
  (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section, and the 
regulations promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission under 
such amendments, shall not take effect before January 1 of the calendar 
year after the calendar year in which this Act is enacted.

SEC. 4. REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO CHARGES FOR COVERED SERVICES.

  (a) In General.--Part IV of title VI of the Communications Act of 
1934 (47 U.S.C. 551 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``SEC. 642. REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO CHARGES FOR COVERED SERVICES.

  ``(a) Consumer Rights in Sales.--
          ``(1) Right to transparency.--Before entering into a contract 
        with a consumer for the provision of a covered service, a 
        provider of a covered service shall provide the consumer, by 
        phone, in person, online, or by other reasonable means, the 
        total monthly charge for the covered service, whether offered 
        individually or as part of a bundled service, selected by the 
        consumer (explicitly noting the amount of any applicable 
        promotional discount reflected in such charge and when such 
        discount will expire), including any related administrative 
        fees, equipment fees, or other charges, a good faith estimate 
        of any tax, fee, or charge imposed by the Federal Government or 
        a State or local government (whether imposed on the provider or 
        imposed on the consumer but collected by the provider), and a 
        good faith estimate of any fee or charge that is used to 
        recover any other assessment imposed on the provider by the 
        Federal Government or a State or local government.
          ``(2) Right to formal notice.--A provider of a covered 
        service that enters into a contract described in paragraph (1) 
        shall, not later than 24 hours after entering into the 
        contract, send the consumer, by email, online link, or other 
        reasonably comparable means, a copy of the information 
        described in such paragraph.
          ``(3) Right to cancel.--A provider of a covered service that 
        enters into a contract described in paragraph (1) shall permit 
        the consumer to cancel the contract, without paying early 
        cancellation fees or other disconnection fees or penalties, 
        during the 24-hour period beginning when the provider of the 
        covered service sends the copy required by paragraph (2).
  ``(b) Consumer Rights in e-billing.--If a provider of a covered 
service provides a bill to a consumer in an electronic format, the 
provider shall include in the bill--
          ``(1) an itemized statement that breaks down the total amount 
        charged for or relating to the provision of the covered service 
        by the amount charged for the provision of the service itself 
        and the amount of all related taxes, administrative fees, 
        equipment fees, or other charges;
          ``(2) the termination date of the contract for the provision 
        of the covered service entered into between the consumer and 
        the provider; and
          ``(3) the termination date of any applicable promotional 
        discount.
  ``(c) Consumer Rights to Accurate Equipment Charges.--A provider of a 
covered service or fixed broadband internet access service may not 
charge a consumer for--
          ``(1) using covered equipment provided by the consumer; or
          ``(2) renting, leasing, or otherwise providing to the 
        consumer covered equipment if--
                  ``(A) the provider has not provided the equipment to 
                the consumer; or
                  ``(B) the consumer has returned the equipment to the 
                provider, except to the extent that the charge relates 
                to the period beginning on the date when the provider 
                provided the equipment to the consumer and ending on 
                the date when the consumer returned the equipment to 
                the provider.
  ``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
          ``(1) Broadband internet access service.--The term `broadband 
        internet access service' has the meaning given such term in 
        section 8.1(b) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, or any 
        successor regulation.
          ``(2) Covered equipment.--The term `covered equipment' means 
        equipment (such as a router) employed on the premises of a 
        person (other than a provider of a covered service or fixed 
        broadband internet access service) to provide a covered service 
        or to provide fixed broadband internet access service.
          ``(3) Covered service.--The term `covered service' means 
        service provided by a multichannel video programming 
        distributer, to the extent such distributor is acting as a 
        multichannel video programming distributor.''.
  (b) Effective Date.--Section 642 of the Communications Act of 1934, 
as added by subsection (a) of this section, shall apply beginning on 
the date that is 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
The Federal Communications Commission may grant an additional 6-month 
extension if the Commission finds that good cause exists for such an 
additional extension.

                         I. Purpose and Summary

    H.R. 5035, the ``Television Viewer Protection Act of 
2019'', was introduced on November 12, 2019, by Rep. Mike Doyle 
(D-PA), and referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. 
The purpose of this legislation is to address two provisions of 
law expiring at the end of 2019 that facilitate the ability of 
consumers to view broadcast television stations over 
multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) services and 
to provide basic protections to consumers when purchasing MVPD 
services and certain broadband equipment.
    H.R. 5035 does this by making permanent the ``good faith'' 
negotiation provisions for retransmission consent while 
allowing for the importation of distant signals to unserved 
households without retransmission consent only as authorized 
under the statutory license in section 119 of the Copyright 
Act.
    Under that good faith standard, the legislation allows 
smaller MVPDs to collectively negotiate as a buying group for 
retransmission consent with large broadcast station groups. The 
legislation specifies which smaller MVPDs are eligible to 
collectively negotiate as a buying group and which large 
broadcast station groups are required to negotiate in good 
faith with the buying group. Also, under that good faith 
standard, the legislation prohibits buying groups from 
disclosing the prices, terms, or conditions of an ongoing 
negotiation--or the final terms--to a smaller MVPD that is not 
intending or is unlikely to enter into the final terms. As part 
of the FCC's determination as to whether a participant in the 
MVPD buying group violated its good faith obligation, the FCC 
may consider whether a MVPD that joined, left, and rejoined the 
group during the term of a singular negotiation between the 
buying group and the large station group for the purpose of 
gaining confidential information from the buying group 
negotiations.
    The legislation further requires that, at the point of 
sale, MVPDs must give consumers a breakdown of all charges 
related to the MVPD's video service and allows the consumer 24-
hours to cancel the service without any penalty. Finally, the 
legislation provides for more transparency in electronic bills 
and prevents MVPDs and broadband companies from charging for 
equipment they do not provide.

                II. Background and Need for Legislation


A. Carriage of Distant Signals

    The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) grants licenses 
to broadcast stations to serve a specific community.\1\ Each 
community is assigned to a Designated Market Area (DMA).\2\ 
There are 210 DMAs. Broadcast stations are assigned to a DMA 
based on a station's community of license.\3\ Television 
stations broadcast content to households within their local 
markets.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\47 U.S.C. Sec. 310(d).
    \2\Congressional Research Service, Cable and Satellite Television 
Issues in the 116th Congress, IF11053 (Dec. 20, 2018).
    \3\Id.
    \4\Id. 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The Communications Act of 1934, as amended (Communications 
Act) established a regulatory framework for the carriage of 
broadcast programming by a MVPD service (e.g., cable or 
satellite TV).\5\ Generally, when an MVPD wants to carry a 
broadcast station that wants compensation for such carriage, it 
must obtain retransmission consent from the broadcaster.\6\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \5\47 U.S.C. Sec. 325(b)(1).
    \6\Id. 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In some situations, satellite MVPDs may transmit ``distant 
signals''--stations outside of a subscriber's DMA--without 
having to negotiate a retransmission agreement.\7\ In that 
case, the Communications Act allows satellite MVPDs to import 
distant signals outside of the DMA to ensure that subscribers 
in these markets have access to programming from all the 
networks.\8\ As of October 2018, satellite MVPDs reported that 
870,000 subscribers receive at least one distant broadcast 
signal in this way.\9\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \7\47 C.F.R. Sec. 76.64(c).
    \8\See id.
    \9\Broadcasting & Cable, SCBA Pushes Permanent STELAR Renewal (Oct. 
17, 2018).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In addition to the retransmission consent regime 
established by the Communications Act, the Copyright Act of 
1976 (Copyright Act) provides for statutory licenses that 
permit satellite MVPDs to retransmit copyrighted programming 
content without first having to negotiate royalties with each 
copyright owner.\10\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \10\17 U.S.C. Sec. Sec. 111, 122, and 119.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Congress set expiration dates on certain provisions of this 
framework. The most recent extension of these provisions came 
in the STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014 (STELAR).\11\ 
Specifically, they are:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \11\STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014, Pub. L. No. 113-200.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Section 325(b)(2)(C) of the Communications 
        Act, which allows satellite MVPDs to import distant 
        signal licenses to unserved households without 
        retransmission consent from the stations. This 
        provision expires December 31, 2019.\12\ If this 
        provision expires, satellite MVPDs will be required to 
        negotiate retransmission consent agreements to provide 
        broadcast stations to unserved households.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \12\47 U.S.C. Sec. 325(b)(2)(C).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Sections 325(b)(3)(C)(ii) and (iii) places 
        an obligation on MVPDs and broadcasters to negotiate 
        retransmission consent agreements ``in good 
        faith.''\13\ Broadcasters are also prohibited from 
        engaging in exclusive contracts for carriage of their 
        content. These requirements expire on January 1, 2020. 
        Currently, FCC regulations implementing these 
        provisions set forth several standards that violate 
        this obligation.\14\ The FCC can receive and adjudicate 
        complaints, if a MVPD or broadcaster believes these 
        standards are being violated.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \13\47 U.S.C. Sec. Sec. 325(b)(3)(C)(ii) and (iii).
    \14\47 CFR Sec. 76.65.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
           The satellite distant signal statutory 
        license in 17 U.S.C. 119 expires on December 31, 2019. 
        If this provision expires, satellite MVPDs would be 
        required to negotiate a license--or licenses--to carry 
        all the content available through an individual 
        television broadcast in order to transmit distant 
        signals as opposed to using the existing statutory 
        license and making payments to the Copyright Royalty 
        Board.
    If these provisions expire, subscribers may lose access to 
distant signals currently provided by satellite MVPDs and 
broadcasters and MVPDs would no longer be able to complain to 
the FCC if a party to a retransmission consent negotiation 
acted in bad faith.

B. MVPD Bill Disclosures

    Consumers often face unexpected and confusing fees when 
purchasing video programming.\15\ These include fees for 
broadcast TV, regional sports, set-top box, and HD 
technology.\16\ Some consumers are also paying fees for 
equipment they do not even purchase or lease from their 
internet service provider.\17\ According to a recent study, 
these unexpected fees cost consumers an average of an 
additional $450 each year.\18\ This assortment of unexpected 
fees only became prevalent about ten years ago.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \15\Jonathan Schwantes, Consumer Reports, How Cable Companies Use 
Hidden Fees to Raise Prices and Disguise the True Cost of Service (Oct. 
2019).
    \16\Id. at 4.
    \17\Id. at 8.
    \18\Id. at 3.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

                         III. Committee Hearing

    For the purposes of section 103(i) of H. Res. 6 of the 
116th Congress, the following hearing was used to develop or 
consider H.R. 5035:
    The Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a 
hearing on June 4, 2019, entitled ``STELAR Review: Protecting 
Consumers in an Evolving Media Marketplace.'' The Subcommittee 
received testimony from the following witnesses:
           Gordon H. Smith, President and CEO, National 
        Association of Broadcasters;
           Robert D. Thun, Senior Vice President of 
        Content and Programming, AT&T Mobility and 
        Entertainment;
           Patricia Jo Boyers, President and Vice 
        Chairman of the Board, BOYCOM Vision; and
           John Bergmayer, Senior Counsel, Public 
        Knowledge.

                      IV. Committee Consideration

    H.R. 5035, the ``Television Viewer Protection Act of 
2019'', was introduced on November 12, 2019, by Rep. Doyle (D-
PA), and referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. The 
bill was subsequently referred to the Subcommittee on 
Communications and Technology on November 13, 2019. On November 
14, 2019, the Subcommittee met in open markup session, pursuant 
to notice, to consider H.R. 5035. No amendments were offered 
during the Subcommittee's consideration. Subsequently, the 
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology agreed to a 
motion by Mr. Doyle, Chairman of the subcommittee, to favorably 
forward H.R. 5035, without amendment, to the full Committee on 
Energy and Commerce by a voice vote.
    On November 20, 2019, the full Committee met in open markup 
session, pursuant to notice, to consider H.R. 5035. During 
consideration of the bill, a manager's amendment offered by 
Messrs. Walden and Doyle was adopted by a voice vote. 
Subsequently, a motion by Mr. Pallone, Chairman of the 
committee, to order H.R. 5035 reported favorably to the House, 
amended, was agreed to by a voice vote, a quorum being present.

                           V. Committee Votes

    Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives requires the Committee to list each record vote 
on the motion to report legislation and amendments thereto. The 
Committee advises that there were no record votes taken on H.R. 
5035, including a motion by Mr. Pallone ordering H.R. 5035 
reported favorably to the House, amended.

                         VI. Oversight Findings

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII and clause 2(b)(1) 
of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the 
oversight findings and recommendations of the Committee are 
reflected in the descriptive portion of the report.

 VII. New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures

    Pursuant to 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 
of Representatives, the Committee adopts as its own the 
estimate of new budget authority, entitlement authority, or tax 
expenditures or revenues contained in the cost estimate 
prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office 
pursuant to section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 
1974.
    The Committee has requested but not received from the 
Director of the Congressional Budget Office a statement as to 
whether this bill contains any new budget authority, spending 
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in 
revenues or tax expenditures.

                    VIII. Federal Mandates Statement

    The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal 
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
Act.

       IX. Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general 
performance goal or objective of this legislation is to protect 
consumers throughout the media market and when purchasing MVPD 
or broadband service to the extent described in the 
legislation.

                   X. Duplication of Federal Programs

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII, no provision of 
H.R. 5035 is known to be duplicative of another Federal 
program, including any program that was included in a report to 
Congress pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139 or the 
most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.

                      XI. Committee Cost Estimate

    Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII, the Committee 
adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared by the Director of 
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

    XII. Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff Benefits

    Pursuant to clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI, the 
Committee finds that H.R. 5035 contains no earmarks, limited 
tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits.

                   XIII. Advisory Committee Statement

    No advisory committee within the meaning of section 5(b) of 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act was created by this 
legislation.

                XIV. Applicability to Legislative Branch

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.

           XV. Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation


Section 1. Short title

    Section 1 designates that the short title may be cited as 
the ``Television Viewer Protection Act of 2019''.

Sec. 2. Extension of authority

    This section permits direct broadcast satellite companies 
to distribute an out-of-market station, without first getting 
retransmission consent pursuant to 47 U.S.C. Sec. 325(b)(2)(c), 
only to the extent permitted by the compulsory copyright 
license found in 17 U.S.C. Sec. 119.
    This section also makes permanent the provisions found in 
47 U.S.C. Sec. Sec. 325(b)(3)(C)(ii) and (iii), which require 
broadcasters and MVPDs to negotiate for retransmission consent 
in good faith and prohibits broadcasters from engaging in 
exclusive contracts for carriage of their content.

Sec. 3. Satisfaction of good faith negotiation requirement by 
        multichannel video programming distributors

    This section requires the FCC to commence a rulemaking that 
specifies that certain small MVPDs can meet the obligation to 
negotiate in good faith found in 47 U.S.C. Sec. 325(b)(3)(C) by 
negotiating with a large station group through a qualified MVPD 
buying group. The rulemaking must also specify that a qualified 
MVPD buying group will have violated the requirement to 
negotiate in good faith if the buying group discloses the 
prices, terms, or conditions of an ongoing negotiation or the 
final terms to a smaller MVPD that is not intending or is 
unlikely to enter into the final terms.
    Additionally, the section requires the rulemaking to 
specify that a large station group has a good faith obligation 
pursuant to 47 U.S.C. Sec. 325(b)(3)(C) to negotiate with a 
qualified MVPD buying group. The Committee does not intend to 
amend the nature of the general good faith obligation in 
section 325(b)(3)(C)(ii) that allows a large station group to 
negotiate different prices, terms, or conditions offered to a 
qualified MVPD buying group as opposed to those prices, terms, 
or conditions offered to a MVPD buying group member who did not 
participate in the negotiation, who did not ultimately agree to 
the final prices, terms, and conditions offered to the MVPD 
buying group.
    This section provides definitions for qualified MVPD buying 
group and large station group. Finally, this section states 
that the effective date for the provisions in this section, or 
rules enacted pursuant to this section, will not take effect 
before January 1 of the calendar year after the calendar year 
in which this legislation is enacted.

Sec. 4. Requirements relating to charges for covered services

    This section adds section 642 to title VI of the 
Communications Act. New section 642 requires that before 
entering into a contract, a MVPD must give consumers the total 
monthly charge for the covered service, including a good faith 
breakdown of all charges--including all related fees, charges, 
and taxes--with respect to the MVPD's video service. The MVPD 
may provide a good faith estimate of any fee or charge that is 
used to recover an assessment imposed on the provider by the 
Federal Government or State or local government. The MVPD 
further must provide a copy of such information to the customer 
and the consumer may cancel the contract within 24-hours 
without any penalty. The Committee does not intend to require a 
MVPD to include a charge that is a result of consumer action, 
such as an additional consumer purchase that was unknown at the 
point of sale.
    New subsection 642(b) requires electronic bills to include 
an itemized statement of all charges related to the MVPD's 
video service, as well as the termination date of the contract 
and the termination date of any promotional discount. For 
contracts that become month-to-month after a certain date, the 
Committee intends for MVPDs to disclose the date a contract 
will roll over to a month-to-month contract to satisfy this 
requirement.
    New subsection 642(c) prohibits a MVPD or broadband 
internet access provider to charge for covered equipment 
provided by the consumer or to charge for covered equipment if 
they do not provide such equipment to the consumer or to 
continue charging after the consumer returned such equipment. 
The Committee does not intend for this provision to apply if 
the MVPD does not charge a separate fee for the lease of 
provider-supplied equipment and the subscriber chooses to use 
customer owned equipment instead.
    New subsection 642(d) provides definitions for covered 
equipment and covered service. It is the intent of the 
Committee that if a consumer purchases video service as part of 
a bundled package, the MVPD is required to disclose the total 
monthly charge of the bundled service at the point of sale.
    Finally, this section states that the effective date of 
section 642 shall be six months after the enactment date of 
this legislation, but the FCC can grant one additional six-
month extension if good cause exists.

       XVI. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

  In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
matter is printed in italic, and existing law in which no 
change is proposed is shown in roman):

                       COMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1934




           *       *       *       *       *       *       *
            TITLE III--SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO RADIO

PART I--GENERAL PROVISIONS

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 325. FALSE DISTRESS SIGNALS; REBROADCASTING; STUDIOS OF FOREIGN 
                    STATIONS.

  (a) No person within the jursidiction of the United States 
shall knowingly utter or transmit, or cause to be uttered or 
transmitted, any false or fraudulent signals of distress, or 
communication relating thereto, nor shall any broadcasting 
station rebroadcast the program or any part thereof of another 
broadcasting station without the express authority of the 
originating station.
  (b)(1) No cable system or other multichannel video 
programming distributor shall retransmit the signal of a 
broadcasting station, or any part thereof, except--
          (A) with the express authority of the originating 
        station;
          (B) under section 614, in the case of a station 
        electing, in accordance with this subsection, to assert 
        the right to carriage under such section; or
          (C) under section 338, in the case of a station 
        electing, in accordance with this subsection, to assert 
        the right to carriage under such section.
  (2) This subsection shall not apply--
          (A) to retransmission of the signal of a 
        noncommercial television broadcast station;
          (B) to retransmission of the signal of a television 
        broadcast station outside the station's local market by 
        a satellite carrier directly to its subscribers, if--
                  (i) such station was a superstation on May 1, 
                1991;
                  (ii) as of July 1, 1998, such station was 
                retransmitted by a satellite carrier under the 
                statutory license of section 119 of title 17, 
                United States Code; and
                  (iii) the satellite carrier complies with any 
                network nonduplication, syndicated exclusivity, 
                and sports blackout rules adopted by the 
                Commission under section 339(b) of this Act;
          (C) until [December 31, 2019] the expiration date, if 
        any, described in section 119(h) of title 17, United 
        States Code, to retransmission of the signals of 
        network stations directly to a home satellite antenna, 
        if the subscriber receiving the signal--
                  (i) is located in an area outside the local 
                market of such stations; and
                  (ii) resides in an unserved household;
          (D) to retransmission by a cable operator or other 
        multichannel video provider, other than a satellite 
        carrier, of the signal of a television broadcast 
        station outside the station's local market if such 
        signal was obtained from a satellite carrier and--
                  (i) the originating station was a 
                superstation on May 1, 1991; and
                  (ii) as of July 1, 1998, such station was 
                retransmitted by a satellite carrier under the 
                statutory license of section 119 of title 17, 
                United States Code; or
          (E) during the 6-month period beginning on the date 
        of the enactment of the Satellite Home Viewer 
        Improvement Act of 1999, to the retransmission of the 
        signal of a television broadcast station within the 
        station's local market by a satellite carrier directly 
        to its subscribers under the statutory license of 
        section 122 of title 17, United States Code.
For purposes of this paragraph, the terms ``satellite carrier'' 
and ``superstation'' have the meanings given those terms, 
respectively, in section 119(d) of title 17, United States 
Code, as in effect on the date of the enactment of the Cable 
Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992, and 
the term ``unserved household'' has the meaning given that term 
under section 119(d) of such title[, and the term ``local 
market'' has the meaning given that term in section 122(j) of 
such title].
  (3)(A) Within 45 days after the date of enactment of the 
Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 
1992, the Commission shall commence a rulemaking proceeding to 
establish regulations to govern the exercise by television 
broadcast stations of the right to grant retransmission consent 
under this subsection and of the right to signal carriage under 
section 614, and such other regulations as are necessary to 
administer the limitations contained in paragraph (2). The 
Commission shall consider in such proceeding the impact that 
the grant of retransmission consent by television stations may 
have on the rates for the basic service tier and shall ensure 
that the regulations prescribed under this subsection do not 
conflict with the Commission's obligation under section 
623(b)(1) to ensure that the rates for the basic service tier 
are reasonable. Such rulemaking proceeding shall be completed 
within 180 days after the date of enactment of the Cable 
Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992.
  (B) The regulations required by subparagraph (A) shall 
require that television stations, within one year after the 
date of enactment of the Cable Television Consumer Protection 
and Competition Act of 1992 and every three years thereafter, 
make an election between the right to grant retransmission 
consent under this subsection and the right to signal carriage 
under section 614. If there is more than one cable system which 
services the same geographic area, a station's election shall 
apply to all such cable systems.
  (C) The Commission shall commence a rulemaking proceeding to 
revise the regulations governing the exercise by television 
broadcast stations of the right to grant retransmission consent 
under this subsection, and such other regulations as are 
necessary to administer the limitations contained in paragraph 
(2). Such regulations shall--
          (i) establish election time periods that correspond 
        with those regulations adopted under subparagraph (B) 
        of this paragraph;
          (ii) [until January 1, 2020,] prohibit a television 
        broadcast station that provides retransmission consent 
        from engaging in exclusive contracts for carriage or 
        failing to negotiate in good faith, and it shall not be 
        a failure to negotiate in good faith if the television 
        broadcast station enters into retransmission consent 
        agreements containing different terms and conditions, 
        including price terms, with different multichannel 
        video programming distributors if such different terms 
        and conditions are based on competitive marketplace 
        considerations;
          (iii) [until January 1, 2020,] prohibit a 
        multichannel video programming distributor from failing 
        to negotiate in good faith for retransmission consent 
        under this section, and it shall not be a failure to 
        negotiate in good faith if the distributor enters into 
        retransmission consent agreements containing different 
        terms and conditions, including price terms, with 
        different broadcast stations if such different terms 
        and conditions are based on competitive marketplace 
        considerations;
          (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[; 
        and];
          (v) prohibit a television broadcast station from 
        limiting the ability of a multichannel video 
        programming distributor to carry into the local market 
        [(as defined in section 122(j) of title 17, United 
        States Code)] of such station a television signal that 
        has been deemed significantly viewed, within the 
        meaning of section 76.54 of title 47, Code of Federal 
        Regulations, or any successor regulation, or any other 
        television broadcast signal such distributor is 
        authorized to carry under section 338, 339, 340, or 614 
        of this Act, unless such stations are directly or 
        indirectly under common de jure control permitted by 
        the Commission[.]; and
          (vi) not later than 90 days after the date of the 
        enactment of the Television Viewer Protection Act of 
        2019, specify that--
                  (I) a multichannel video programming 
                distributor may satisfy its obligation to 
                negotiate in good faith under clause (iii) with 
                respect to a negotiation for retransmission 
                consent under this section with a large station 
                group by designating a qualified MVPD buying 
                group to negotiate on its behalf, so long as 
                the qualified MVPD buying group itself 
                negotiates in good faith in accordance with 
                such clause;
                  (II) it is a violation of the obligation to 
                negotiate in good faith under clause (iii) for 
                the qualified MVPD buying group to disclose the 
                prices, terms, or conditions of an ongoing 
                negotiation or the final terms of a negotiation 
                to a member of the qualified MVPD buying group 
                that is not intending, or is unlikely, to enter 
                into the final terms negotiated by the 
                qualified MVPD buying group; and
                  (III) a large station group has an obligation 
                to negotiate in good faith under clause (ii) 
                with respect to a negotiation for 
                retransmission consent under this section with 
                a qualified MVPD buying group.
  (4) If an originating television station elects under 
paragraph (3)(B) to exercise its right to grant retransmission 
consent under this subsection with respect to a cable system, 
the provisions of section 614 shall not apply to the carriage 
of the signal of such station by such cable system. If an 
originating television station elects under paragraph (3)(C) to 
exercise its right to grant retransmission consent under this 
subsection with respect to a satellite carrier, section 338 
shall not apply to the carriage of the signal of such station 
by such satellite carrier.
  (5) The exercise by a television broadcast station of the 
right to grant retransmission consent under this subsection 
shall not interfere with or supersede the rights under section 
338, 614, or 615 of any station electing to assert the right to 
signal carriage under that section.
  (6) Nothing in this section shall be construed as modifying 
the compulsory copyright license established in section 111 of 
title 17, United States Code, or as affecting existing or 
future video programming licensing agreements between 
broadcasting stations and video programmers.
  (7) For purposes of this subsection, the term--
          (A) ``network station'' has the meaning given such 
        term under section 119(d) of title 17, United States 
        Code[; and];
          (B) ``television broadcast station'' means an over-
        the-air commercial or noncommercial television 
        broadcast station licensed by the Commission under 
        subpart E of part 73 of title 47, Code of Federal 
        Regulations, except that such term does not include a 
        low-power or translator television station[.];
          (C) ``qualified MVPD buying group'' means an entity 
        that, with respect to a negotiation with a large 
        station group for retransmission consent under this 
        section--
                  (i) negotiates on behalf of two or more 
                multichannel video programming distributors--
                          (I) none of which is a multichannel 
                        video programming distributor that 
                        serves more than 500,000 subscribers 
                        nationally; and
                          (II) that do not collectively serve 
                        more than 25 percent of all households 
                        served by a multichannel video 
                        programming distributor in any single 
                        local market in which the applicable 
                        large station group operates; and
                  (ii) negotiates agreements for such 
                retransmission consent--
                          (I) that contain standardized 
                        contract provisions, including billing 
                        structures and technical quality 
                        standards, for each multichannel video 
                        programming distributor on behalf of 
                        which the entity negotiates; and
                          (II) under which the entity assumes 
                        liability to remit to the applicable 
                        large station group all fees received 
                        from the multichannel video programming 
                        distributors on behalf of which the 
                        entity negotiates;
          (D) ``large station group'' means a group of 
        television broadcast stations that--
                  (i) are directly or indirectly under common 
                de jure control permitted by the regulations of 
                the Commission;
                  (ii) generally negotiate agreements for 
                retransmission consent under this section as a 
                single entity; and
                  (iii) include only television broadcast 
                stations that have a national audience reach of 
                more than 20 percent;
          (E) ``local market'' has the meaning given such term 
        in section 122(j) of title 17, United States Code; and
          (F) ``multichannel video programming distributor'' 
        has the meaning given such term in section 602.
  (c) No person shall be permitted to locate, use, or maintain 
a radio broadcast studio or other place or apparatus from which 
or whereby sound waves are converted into electrical energy, or 
mechanical or physical reproduction of sound waves produced, 
and caused to be transmitted or delivered to a radio station in 
a foreign country for the purpose of being broadcast from any 
radio station there having a power output of sufficient 
intensity and/or being so located geographically that its 
emissions may be received consistently in the United States, 
without first obtaining a permit from the Commission upon 
proper application therefor.
  (d) Such application shall contain such information as the 
Commission may by regulation prescribe, and the granting or 
refusal thereof shall be subject to the requirements of section 
309 hereof with respect to applications for station licenses or 
renewal or modification thereof, and the license or permission 
so granted shall be revocable for false statements in the 
application so required or when the Commission, after hearings, 
shall find its continuation no longer in the public interest.
  (e) Enforcement Proceedings Against Satellite Carriers 
Concerning Retransmissions of Television Broadcast Stations in 
the Respective Local Markets of Such Carriers.--
          (1) Complaints by television broadcast stations.--If 
        after the expiration of the 6-month period described 
        under subsection (b)(2)(E) a television broadcast 
        station believes that a satellite carrier has 
        retransmitted its signal to any person in the local 
        market of such station in violation of subsection 
        (b)(1), the station may file with the Commission a 
        complaint providing--
                  (A) the name, address, and call letters of 
                the station;
                  (B) the name and address of the satellite 
                carrier;
                  (C) the dates on which the alleged 
                retransmission occurred;
                  (D) the street address of at least one person 
                in the local market of the station to whom the 
                alleged retransmission was made;
                  (E) a statement that the retransmission was 
                not expressly authorized by the television 
                broadcast station; and
                  (F) the name and address of counsel for the 
                station.
          (2) Service of complaints on satellite carriers.--For 
        purposes of any proceeding under this subsection, any 
        satellite carrier that retransmits the signal of any 
        broadcast station shall be deemed to designate the 
        Secretary of the Commission as its agent for service of 
        process. A television broadcast station may serve a 
        satellite carrier with a complaint concerning an 
        alleged violation of subsection (b)(1) through 
        retransmission of a station within the local market of 
        such station by filing the original and two copies of 
        the complaint with the Secretary of the Commission and 
        serving a copy of the complaint on the satellite 
        carrier by means of two commonly used overnight 
        delivery services, each addressed to the chief 
        executive officer of the satellite carrier at its 
        principal place of business, and each marked ``URGENT 
        LITIGATION MATTER'' on the outer packaging. Service 
        shall be deemed complete one business day after a copy 
        of the complaint is provided to the delivery services 
        for overnight delivery. On receipt of a complaint filed 
        by a television broadcast station under this 
        subsection, the Secretary of the Commission shall send 
        the original complaint by United States mail, postage 
        prepaid, receipt requested, addressed to the chief 
        executive officer of the satellite carrier at its 
        principal place of business.
          (3) Answers by satellite carriers.--Within five 
        business days after the date of service, the satellite 
        carrier shall file an answer with the Commission and 
        shall serve the answer by a commonly used overnight 
        delivery service and by United States mail, on the 
        counsel designated in the complaint at the address 
        listed for such counsel in the complaint.
          (4) Defenses.--
                  (A) Exclusive defenses.--The defenses under 
                this paragraph are the exclusive defenses 
                available to a satellite carrier against which 
                a complaint under this subsection is filed.
                  (B) Defenses.--The defenses referred to under 
                subparagraph (A) are the defenses that--
                          (i) the satellite carrier did not 
                        retransmit the television broadcast 
                        station to any person in the local 
                        market of the station during the time 
                        period specified in the complaint;
                          (ii) the television broadcast station 
                        had, in a writing signed by an officer 
                        of the television broadcast station, 
                        expressly authorized the retransmission 
                        of the station by the satellite carrier 
                        to each person in the local market of 
                        the television broadcast station to 
                        which the satellite carrier made such 
                        retransmissions for the entire time 
                        period during which it is alleged that 
                        a violation of subsection (b)(1) has 
                        occurred;
                          (iii) the retransmission was made 
                        after January 1, 2002, and the 
                        television broadcast station had 
                        elected to assert the right to carriage 
                        under section 338 as against the 
                        satellite carrier for the relevant 
                        period; or
                          (iv) the station being retransmitted 
                        is a noncommercial television broadcast 
                        station.
          (5) Counting of violations.--The retransmission 
        without consent of a particular television broadcast 
        station on a particular day to one or more persons in 
        the local market of the station shall be considered a 
        separate violation of subsection (b)(1).
          (6) Burden of proof.--With respect to each alleged 
        violation, the burden of proof shall be on a television 
        broadcast station to establish that the satellite 
        carrier retransmitted the station to at least one 
        person in the local market of the station on the day in 
        question. The burden of proof shall be on the satellite 
        carrier with respect to all defenses other than the 
        defense under paragraph (4)(B)(i).
          (7) Procedures.--
                  (A) Regulations.--Within 60 days after the 
                date of the enactment of the Satellite Home 
                Viewer Improvement Act of 1999, the Commission 
                shall issue procedural regulations implementing 
                this subsection which shall supersede 
                procedures under section 312.
                  (B) Determinations.--
                          (i) In general.--Within 45 days after 
                        the filing of a complaint, the 
                        Commission shall issue a final 
                        determination in any proceeding brought 
                        under this subsection. The Commission's 
                        final determination shall specify the 
                        number of violations committed by the 
                        satellite carrier. The Commission shall 
                        hear witnesses only if it clearly 
                        appears, based on written filings by 
                        the parties, that there is a genuine 
                        dispute about material facts. Except as 
                        provided in the preceding sentence, the 
                        Commission may issue a final ruling 
                        based on written filings by the 
                        parties.
                          (ii) Discovery.--The Commission may 
                        direct the parties to exchange 
                        pertinent documents, and if necessary 
                        to take prehearing depositions, on such 
                        schedule as the Commission may approve, 
                        but only if the Commission first 
                        determines that such discovery is 
                        necessary to resolve a genuine dispute 
                        about material facts, consistent with 
                        the obligation to make a final 
                        determination within 45 days.
          (8) Relief.--If the Commission determines that a 
        satellite carrier has retransmitted the television 
        broadcast station to at least one person in the local 
        market of such station and has failed to meet its 
        burden of proving one of the defenses under paragraph 
        (4) with respect to such retransmission, the Commission 
        shall be required to--
                  (A) make a finding that the satellite carrier 
                violated subsection (b)(1) with respect to that 
                station; and
                  (B) issue an order, within 45 days after the 
                filing of the complaint, containing--
                          (i) a cease-and-desist order 
                        directing the satellite carrier 
                        immediately to stop making any further 
                        retransmissions of the television 
                        broadcast station to any person within 
                        the local market of such station until 
                        such time as the Commission determines 
                        that the satellite carrier is in 
                        compliance with subsection (b)(1) with 
                        respect to such station;
                          (ii) if the satellite carrier is 
                        found to have violated subsection 
                        (b)(1) with respect to more than two 
                        television broadcast stations, a cease-
                        and-desist order directing the 
                        satellite carrier to stop making any 
                        further retransmission of any 
                        television broadcast station to any 
                        person within the local market of such 
                        station, until such time as the 
                        Commission, after giving notice to the 
                        station, that the satellite carrier is 
                        in compliance with subsection (b)(1) 
                        with respect to such stations; and
                          (iii) an award to the complainant of 
                        that complainant's costs and reasonable 
                        attorney's fees.
          (9) Court proceedings on enforcement of commission 
        order.--
                  (A) In general.--On entry by the Commission 
                of a final order granting relief under this 
                subsection--
                          (i) a television broadcast station 
                        may apply within 30 days after such 
                        entry to the United States District 
                        Court for the Eastern District of 
                        Virginia for a final judgment enforcing 
                        all relief granted by the Commission; 
                        and
                          (ii) the satellite carrier may apply 
                        within 30 days after such entry to the 
                        United States District Court for the 
                        Eastern District of Virginia for a 
                        judgment reversing the Commission's 
                        order.
                  (B) Appeal.--The procedure for an appeal 
                under this paragraph by the satellite carrier 
                shall supersede any other appeal rights under 
                Federal or State law. A United States district 
                court shall be deemed to have personal 
                jurisdiction over the satellite carrier if the 
                carrier, or a company under common control with 
                the satellite carrier, has delivered television 
                programming by satellite to more than 30 
                customers in that district during the preceding 
                4-year period. If the United States District 
                Court for the Eastern District of Virginia does 
                not have personal jurisdiction over the 
                satellite carrier, an enforcement action or 
                appeal shall be brought in the United States 
                District Court for the District of Columbia, 
                which may find personal jurisdiction based on 
                the satellite carrier's ownership of licenses 
                issued by the Commission. An application by a 
                television broadcast station for an order 
                enforcing any cease-and-desist relief granted 
                by the Commission shall be resolved on a highly 
                expedited schedule. No discovery may be 
                conducted by the parties in any such 
                proceeding. The district court shall enforce 
                the Commission order unless the Commission 
                record reflects manifest error and an abuse of 
                discretion by the Commission.
          (10) Civil action for statutory damages.--Within 6 
        months after issuance of an order by the Commission 
        under this subsection, a television broadcast station 
        may file a civil action in any United States district 
        court that has personal jurisdiction over the satellite 
        carrier for an award of statutory damages for any 
        violation that the Commission has determined to have 
        been committed by a satellite carrier under this 
        subsection. Such action shall not be subject to 
        transfer under section 1404(a) of title 28, United 
        States Code. On finding that the satellite carrier has 
        committed one or more violations of subsection (b), the 
        District Court shall be required to award the 
        television broadcast station statutory damages of 
        $25,000 per violation, in accordance with paragraph 
        (5), and the costs and attorney's fees incurred by the 
        station. Such statutory damages shall be awarded only 
        if the television broadcast station has filed a binding 
        stipulation with the court that such station will 
        donate the full amount in excess of $1,000 of any 
        statutory damage award to the United States Treasury 
        for public purposes. Notwithstanding any other 
        provision of law, a station shall incur no tax 
        liability of any kind with respect to any amounts so 
        donated. Discovery may be conducted by the parties in 
        any proceeding under this paragraph only if and to the 
        extent necessary to resolve a genuinely disputed issue 
        of fact concerning one of the defenses under paragraph 
        (4). In any such action, the defenses under paragraph 
        (4) shall be exclusive, and the burden of proof shall 
        be on the satellite carrier with respect to all 
        defenses other than the defense under paragraph 
        (4)(B)(i). A judgment under this paragraph may be 
        enforced in any manner permissible under Federal or 
        State law.
          (11) Appeals.--
                  (A) In general.--The nonprevailing party 
                before a United States district court may 
                appeal a decision under this subsection to the 
                United States Court of Appeals with 
                jurisdiction over that district court. The 
                Court of Appeals shall not issue any stay of 
                the effectiveness of any decision granting 
                relief against a satellite carrier unless the 
                carrier presents clear and convincing evidence 
                that it is highly likely to prevail on appeal 
                and only after posting a bond for the full 
                amount of any monetary award assessed against 
                it and for such further amount as the Court of 
                Appeals may believe appropriate.
                  (B) Appeal.--If the Commission denies relief 
                in response to a complaint filed by a 
                television broadcast station under this 
                subsection, the television broadcast station 
                filing the complaint may file an appeal with 
                the United States Court of Appeals for the 
                District of Columbia Circuit.
          (12) Sunset.--No complaint or civil action may be 
        filed under this subsection after December 31, 2001. 
        This subsection shall continue to apply to any 
        complaint or civil action filed on or before such date.

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TITLE VI--CABLE COMMUNICATIONS

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PART IV--MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

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SEC. 642. REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO CHARGES FOR COVERED SERVICES.

  (a) Consumer Rights in Sales.--
          (1) Right to transparency.--Before entering into a 
        contract with a consumer for the provision of a covered 
        service, a provider of a covered service shall provide 
        the consumer, by phone, in person, online, or by other 
        reasonable means, the total monthly charge for the 
        covered service, whether offered individually or as 
        part of a bundled service, selected by the consumer 
        (explicitly noting the amount of any applicable 
        promotional discount reflected in such charge and when 
        such discount will expire), including any related 
        administrative fees, equipment fees, or other charges, 
        a good faith estimate of any tax, fee, or charge 
        imposed by the Federal Government or a State or local 
        government (whether imposed on the provider or imposed 
        on the consumer but collected by the provider), and a 
        good faith estimate of any fee or charge that is used 
        to recover any other assessment imposed on the provider 
        by the Federal Government or a State or local 
        government.
          (2) Right to formal notice.--A provider of a covered 
        service that enters into a contract described in 
        paragraph (1) shall, not later than 24 hours after 
        entering into the contract, send the consumer, by 
        email, online link, or other reasonably comparable 
        means, a copy of the information described in such 
        paragraph.
          (3) Right to cancel.--A provider of a covered service 
        that enters into a contract described in paragraph (1) 
        shall permit the consumer to cancel the contract, 
        without paying early cancellation fees or other 
        disconnection fees or penalties, during the 24-hour 
        period beginning when the provider of the covered 
        service sends the copy required by paragraph (2).
  (b) Consumer Rights in E-billing.--If a provider of a covered 
service provides a bill to a consumer in an electronic format, 
the provider shall include in the bill--
          (1) an itemized statement that breaks down the total 
        amount charged for or relating to the provision of the 
        covered service by the amount charged for the provision 
        of the service itself and the amount of all related 
        taxes, administrative fees, equipment fees, or other 
        charges;
          (2) the termination date of the contract for the 
        provision of the covered service entered into between 
        the consumer and the provider; and
          (3) the termination date of any applicable 
        promotional discount.
  (c) Consumer Rights to Accurate Equipment Charges.--A 
provider of a covered service or fixed broadband internet 
access service may not charge a consumer for--
          (1) using covered equipment provided by the consumer; 
        or
          (2) renting, leasing, or otherwise providing to the 
        consumer covered equipment if--
                  (A) the provider has not provided the 
                equipment to the consumer; or
                  (B) the consumer has returned the equipment 
                to the provider, except to the extent that the 
                charge relates to the period beginning on the 
                date when the provider provided the equipment 
                to the consumer and ending on the date when the 
                consumer returned the equipment to the 
                provider.
  (d) Definitions.--In this section:
          (1) Broadband internet access service.--The term 
        ``broadband internet access service'' has the meaning 
        given such term in section 8.1(b) of title 47, Code of 
        Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.
          (2) Covered equipment.--The term ``covered 
        equipment'' means equipment (such as a router) employed 
        on the premises of a person (other than a provider of a 
        covered service or fixed broadband internet access 
        service) to provide a covered service or to provide 
        fixed broadband internet access service.
          (3) Covered service.--The term ``covered service'' 
        means service provided by a multichannel video 
        programming distributer, to the extent such distributor 
        is acting as a multichannel video programming 
        distributor.

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