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HR3805FEDERALin_committee

Protecting Community Television Act (H.R. 3805)

Original title: Protecting Community Television Act

June 6, 2025

telecommunications cable television local government franchise fees

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Where This Stands

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Signed

Currently in_committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Last action

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.Jun 6, 2025

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

The Frame

What this does

This bill changes the legal definition of s, which could impact the amount of revenue local governments collect from cable companies and potentially affect the funding available for public, educational, and governmental (PEG) television channels.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Local Governments

Local governments may see changes in the types of fees they are legally permitted to collect from cable operators.

Cable Operators

Cable operators may see changes in their financial obligations and the classification of payments made to local franchising authorities.

Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) Channel Operators

These entities may be affected if the change in franchise fee definitions alters the funding streams provided by local cable franchises.

What changed

Current stage: in_committee.

What's next

Floor Vote.

Summary

This bill proposes a technical change to the to narrow the legal definition of a '' paid by cable operators to local governments. By changing the language from 'includes' to 'means,' the bill aims to restrict what types of payments can be classified as franchise fees.

Why It Matters

Key Facts

The bill is titled the 'Protecting Community Television Act'.
It amends Section 622(g)(1) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 542(g)(1)).
The amendment changes the definition of 'franchise fee' from 'includes' to 'means'.
The amendment inserts the phrase 'other monetary' before the word 'assessment' in the definition.
The bill was introduced by Mr. Carter of Louisiana on June 6, 2025.
The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a franchise fee in this context?

A is a payment made by a cable operator to a local government in exchange for the right to operate a cable system within that jurisdiction.

How does this bill change the law?

It narrows the definition of what constitutes a by changing the language from an inclusive list ('includes') to a restrictive definition ('means') and adding the term 'other monetary assessment'.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift90% confidence

Narrowing Regulatory Definitions

The shift from 'includes' to 'means' is a common legislative tactic to restrict the scope of a definition, suggesting an intent to limit the types of payments classified as franchise fees.

Communications Act of 1934

Connected Entities

organizationCommittee on Energy and Commerce“The House committee to which the bill was referred.”Map →

otherCommunications Act of 1934“The existing federal law being amended by this bill.”Map →

personMr. Carter of Louisiana“The U.S. Representative who introduced the bill.”Map →

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance45
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy30
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

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