Broadband Data Improvement Act
Latest action · Oct 10, 2008 Became Public Law No: 110-385.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMay 24, 2007
- Passed SenateSep 26, 2008
- Passed HouseSep 29, 2008
- To the PresidentOct 2, 2008
- Became lawOct 10, 2008Public Law 110-385
Summary
Title I: Broadband Data Improvement - Broadband Data Improvement Act - (Sec. 103) Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC): (1) to compile a list of geographical areas that are not served by any provider of advanced telecommunications capability (high-speed, switched, broadband telecommunications capability that enables users to originate and receive high-quality voice, data, graphics, and video telecommunications); (2) when census data is available, to determine the population, population density, and average per capita income for each area; and (3) to make certain international comparisons.
Requires the FCC to conduct and make public periodic surveys of consumers in urban, suburban, and rural areas in the large business, small business, and residential consumer markets to evaluate the national characteristics of broadband service capability.
Requires expansion of the American Community Survey conducted by the Bureau of the Census to elicit information, including for native lands, to determine what households own or use a computer, if they subscribe to Internet service and, if so, by dial-up or broadband.
(Sec. 104) Requires the Comptroller General to report to specified congressional committees on additional broadband metrics or standards that may be used by industry or the federal government to provide users with more accurate information about the cost and capability of their broadband connection and to better compare the deployment and penetration of broadband in the United States with other countries.
(Sec. 105) Requires the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, subject to appropriations, to report to specified congressional committees on the impact of broadband speed and price on small businesses.
(Sec. 106) Directs the Secretary of Commerce to: (1) make competitive grants to develop and implement statewide initiatives to identify and track the availability and adoption of broadband services within each state; and (2) create a web page on the Department of Commerce website that aggregates relevant information made available to the public by grant recipients, including hypertext links to any geographic inventory maps created by grant recipients.
Requires that the FCC provide eligible entities electronic access to aggregate data (subject to exception) collected by the FCC from broadband service providers. Defines "eligible entity" as an entity that is: (1) either an agency or instrumentality of a state (or a state's subdivision), a nonprofit organization, or certain independent agencies; and (2) the single eligible entity designated by the state to receive such a grant.
Title II: Protecting Children - Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act - Subtitle A: Promoting a Safe Internet for Children - (Sec. 211) Declares that the issue of Internet safety includes issues regarding the use of the Internet in a manner that promotes safe online activity for children, protects children from cybercrimes, including crimes by online predators, and helps parents shield their children from material that is inappropriate for minors.
(Sec. 212) Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to carry out a nationwide program to increase public awareness and provide education on strategies to promote safe Internet use by children. Requires annual reports to specified congressional committees.
(Sec. 214) Directs the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information to establish an Online Safety and Technology working group to review and evaluate: (1) the status of industry efforts to promote online safety for children; (2) the status of industry efforts to promote online safety by service providers and remote computing services by reporting apparent child pornography under specified provisions; (3) the record-keeping practices of electronic communications and remote computing service providers in connection with crimes against children; and (4) the development of technologies to help parents protect their children from inappropriate material on the Internet. Requires the working group to report to the Assistant Secretary and specified congressional committees.
Renders the Federal Advisory Committee Act inapplicable to the working group.
(Sec. 215) Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require elementary and secondary schools with computer access to the Internet to educate minors about appropriate online behavior, including online interaction with other individuals in social networking websites and in chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness and response.
Subtitle B: Enhancing Child Pornography Enforcement - (Sec. 221) Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to impose a forfeiture penalty on any person determined by the FCC to have violated specified provisions relating to the sexual exploitation of minors.
Cosponsors 22
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 24, 2007 to Sep 25, 2008; 5 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MN | Amy Klobuchar | Original | May 24, 2007 |
| D-ND | Byron L. Dorgan | Original | May 24, 2007 |
| D-MA | John F. Kerry | Original | May 24, 2007 |
| D-WA | Maria Cantwell | Original | May 24, 2007 |
| D-AR | Mark L. Pryor | Original | May 24, 2007 |
| D-IL | Barack Obama | May 25, 2007 | |
| D-FL | Bill Nelson | May 25, 2007 | |
| D-DE | Thomas R. Carper | Jun 12, 2007 | |
| D-CA | Barbara Boxer | Jun 20, 2007 | |
| D-WV | John D. Rockefeller IV | Jul 17, 2007 | |
| D-NY | Hillary Rodham Clinton | Jul 24, 2007 | |
| D-LA | Mary L. Landrieu | Nov 6, 2007 | |
| D-VA | Jim Webb | Dec 10, 2007 | |
| R-ME | Olympia J. Snowe | Jun 6, 2008 | |
| R-OR | Gordon H. Smith | Jun 16, 2008 | |
| D-SD | Tim Johnson | Jun 26, 2008 | |
| D-IL | Richard J. Durbin | Jul 15, 2008 | |
| D-OH | Sherrod Brown | Jul 22, 2008 | |
| R-ME | Susan M. Collins | Jul 28, 2008 | |
| R-SD | John Thune | Sep 8, 2008 | |
| D-NY | Charles E. Schumer | Sep 18, 2008 | |
| R-TX | Kay Bailey Hutchison | Sep 25, 2008 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee | Referred May 24, 2007Markup Jul 19, 2007Reported Oct 24, 2007Hearings Sep 16, 2008 |
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred Sep 27, 2008Discharged Sep 29, 2008 |
Actions 25
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Oct 10, 2008Signed by President.
- Oct 10, 2008Became Public Law No: 110-385.
- Oct 2, 2008Presented to President.
- Oct 1, 2008Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Sep 30, 2008Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendments to Senate bill.
In the Congressional Record 5
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| House | Debate and remarks H10693Text printed H10693–H10696 | Edward J. Markey D-MA | Oct 2, 2008 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S10183Amendments S10183 | Ken Salazar D-CO | Sep 30, 2008 |
| House | Debate and remarks H10618–H10621Text printed H10618–H10620Amendments H10620 | Edward J. Markey D-MA (amendment), John D. Dingell D-MI | Sep 29, 2008 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S9853–S9856Text printed S9856–S9858Amendments S9840, S9843, S9853, S9856 | Daniel K. Inouye D-HI (amendment), Kay Bailey Hutchison R-TX (amendment), Sheldon Whitehouse D-RI, Ted Stevens R-AK (amendment) | Sep 26, 2008 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S6860Text printed S6860 | Daniel K. Inouye D-HI (text) | May 24, 2007 |
Research
What has been written about this bill: committee reports, cost estimates, the sponsor’s authority statement, printed hearings and the Congressional Research Service’s work.
Committee report
Congressional Budget Office cost estimates 4
- Oct 21, 2008S. 1492, Broadband Data Improvement Act<p>Cost estimate for the bill as cleared by the Congress on September 30, 2008, and signed by the President on October 10, 2008</p>
- Oct 21, 2008S. 1492, Broadband Data Improvement ActCost estimate for the bill as cleared by the Congress on September 30, 2008, and signed by the President on October 10, 2008
- Aug 27, 2007S. 1492, Broadband Data Improvement Act<p>Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on July 19, 2007</p>
- Aug 27, 2007S. 1492, Broadband Data Improvement ActCost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on July 19, 2007
Printed hearings 5
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serial No. 110-115 | BUILDING AN ECONOMIC RECOVERY PACKAGE: CREATING AND PRESERVING JOBS IN AMERICA129 pages | Education and Workforce Committee | Oct 24, 2008 |
| S. Hrg. 110-1225 | WHY BROADBAND MATTERS80 pages | Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee | Sep 16, 2008 |
| Serial No. 110-78 | MODERN PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES: INVESTING IN THE FUTURE95 pages | Education and Workforce Committee | Feb 13, 2008 |
| S. Hrg. 110-395 | IMPROVING INTERNET ACCESS TO HELP SMALL BUSINESS COMPETE IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY190 pages | Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee | Sep 26, 2007 |
| S. Hrg. 110-1173 | FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION REAUTHORIZATION128 pages | Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee | Sep 12, 2007 |
CRS reports 13
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 13
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R47884 | Identifying Minors Online | Report | Jul 28, 2026 |
| R43237 | Programs for Minority-Serving Institutions Under the Higher Education Act | Report | Mar 23, 2023 |
| R47076 | Federal Broadband Data Sources: Frequently Asked Questions | Report | Apr 22, 2022 |
| R45962 | Broadband Data and Mapping: Background and Issues for the 117th Congress Archived | Report | May 19, 2021 |
| R46613 | The Digital Divide: What Is It, Where Is It, and Federal Assistance Programs Archived | Report | Mar 9, 2021 |
Amendments 3
Amendments offered to this bill.
| Amendment | Description | Offered by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAmdt 1189 | An amendment to make technical and clarifying changes. | Edward J. Markey D-MA | On agreeing to the Markey amendment (A001) Agreed to without objection. |
| SA 5664 | In the nature of a substitute. | Daniel K. Inouye D-HI | Amendment SA 5664 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent. |
| SA 5665 | To make technical and minor changes to the substitute amendment. | Daniel K. Inouye D-HI | Amendment SA 5665 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent. |
Related bills 4
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 1190 | Connect The Nation Act | Related bill | Apr 24, 2007 |
| S 1965 | Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act | Related bill | Jun 3, 2008 |
| HR 3627 | Connect The Nation Act | Related bill | Sep 20, 2007 |
| HR 3893 | Connect America Now Act | Related bill | Oct 22, 2007 |
Titles 9
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to improve the quality of federal and state data regarding the availability and quality of broadband services and to promote the deployment of affordable broadband services to all parts of the Nation.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Broadband Data Improvement Act
- Short Titles as Reported to Senate
- Broadband Data Improvement Act
- Short Titles as Passed House for portions of this bill
- Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act
- Broadband Data Improvement Act
- Short Titles as Passed Senate for portions of this bill
- Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act
- Broadband Data Improvement Act
- Short Titles as Enacted for portions of this bill
- Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act
- Broadband Data Improvement Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications.
- Administrative procedure
- Broadband
- Commerce
- Congress
- Congressional investigations
- Congressional reporting requirements
- Demography
- Economics and Public Finance
- Federal Communications Commission
- Government Operations and Politics
- Government paperwork
- Governmental investigations
- Grants-in-aid
- Independent regulatory commissions
- Internet
- Law
- Nonprofit organizations
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Small business
- Social Welfare
- Standards
- Surveys
- Telecommunication rates
Text 6
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Oct 1, 2008Enrolled Bill
- Sep 29, 2008Engrossed Amendment House
- Sep 27, 2008Engrossed in Senate
- Sep 27, 2008Referred in House
- Oct 24, 2007Reported to Senate
- May 24, 2007Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.