H.R. 1644 (116^th): Save the Internet Act of 2019

In general

The Declaratory Ruling, Report and Order, and Order in the matter of restoring internet freedom that was adopted by the Commission on December 14, 2017 (FCC 17–166), shall have no force or effect.

Prohibition on reissued rule or new rule

The Declaratory Ruling, Report and Order, and Order described in paragraph (1) may not be reissued in substantially the same form, and a new rule that is substantially the same as such Declaratory Ruling, Report and Order, and Order may not be issued, unless the reissued or new rule is specifically authorized by a law enacted after the date of the enactment of this Act.

The Report and Order on Remand, Declaratory Ruling, and Order in the matter of protecting and promoting the open internet that was adopted by the Commission on February 26, 2015 (FCC 15–24).

Part 8 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations.

Any other rule of the Commission that was amended or repealed by the Declaratory Ruling, Report and Order, and Order described in subsection (a)(1).

Commission

The term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission.

Restored as in effect on January 19, 2017

The term restored as in effect on January 19, 2017 means, with respect to the Declaratory Ruling and Order described in subsection (b)(1), to permanently reinstate the rules and legal interpretations set forth in such Declaratory Ruling and Order (as in effect on January 19, 2017), including any decision (as in effect on such date) to apply or forbear from applying a provision of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.) or a regulation of the Commission.

Rule

The term rule has the meaning given such term in section 804 of title 5, United States Code.

whether the exception provided by subsection (a) should be made permanent; and

whether the definition of the term small business for purposes of such exception should be modified from the definition in subsection (d)(3).

Broadband internet access service

The term broadband Internet access service has the meaning given such term in section 8.2 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations.

Commission

The term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission.

Small business

The term small business means any provider of broadband Internet access service that has not more than 100,000 subscribers aggregated over all the provider’s affiliates.

Open internet rules

The term open internet rules means the rules described in section 2(b).

Vulnerable communities

The term vulnerable communities means—

According to an estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau, just 53% of Native Americans living on Tribal lands have access to high-speed internet service.

The Government Accountability Office has found that the Federal Communications Commission data has overstated broadband availability and access on Tribal lands in the United States.

A Federal court recently vacated a Federal Communications Commission order that limited Federal subsidies for wireless providers serving Tribal lands.

The United States Government, industry, and non-governmental organizations should do more to identify and address the unique broadband access challenges faced by individuals living on reservations and Tribal lands.

The Commission has released reports on its inquiries under section 706(b) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (47 U.S.C. 1302(b)) that detail the state of the deployment of broadband service in the United States.

Congress and the Commission have relied upon the accuracy of such reports to develop broadband policy.

The findings of such reports have been particularly important to fostering rural broadband deployment and broadband deployment to schools and classrooms.

may not release a report on an inquiry under section 706(b) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (47 U.S.C. 1302(b)) based on broadband deployment data that the Commission knows to be inaccurate; and

shall use its best efforts to accurately detail broadband deployment in the United States and correct inaccuracies in statements made by the Commission prior to the release of a report about the report.

a list of ways the Federal Government can promote the deployment of broadband Internet access service, especially the buildout of such service to rural areas and areas without access to such service at high speeds; and

recommendations with respect to policies and regulations to ensure rural areas are provided affordable access to broadband Internet access service.

Broadband Internet access service

The term broadband Internet access service has the meaning given such term in section 8.2 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations.

Rural area

The term rural area means any area other than—

determine the accuracy and granularity of the maps produced by the Federal Communications Commission that depict wireline and wireless broadband Internet access service deployment in the United States; and

submit to Congress a report that—

nothing in this Act prohibits providers of broadband Internet access service from blocking content that is not lawful, such as child pornography or copyright-infringing materials; and

nothing in this Act imposes any independent legal obligation on providers of broadband Internet access service to be the arbiter of what is lawful content.