DTV Transition Assistance Act
Latest action · Jul 30, 2008 Became Public Law No: 110-295.
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.
- IntroducedFeb 7, 2008
- Passed SenateJun 19, 2008
- Passed HouseJul 9, 2008
- To the PresidentJul 22, 2008
- Became lawJul 30, 2008Public Law 110-295
Summary
(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on June 19, 2008. The summary of that version is repeated here.)
DTV Transition Assistance Act - Amends the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 (title III of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005) with respect to the low-power television and translator digital-to-analog conversion program.
Requires the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information of the Department of Commerce to determine whether the full amounts provided from the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Fund will be needed for payments to eligible low-power TV stations toward purchase of a digital-to-analog conversion device to convert the incoming digital signal of their corresponding full-power TV station to analog format transmission on the low-power TV station's analog channel. Permits the Secretary to make adjustments to such determination from time to time.
Authorizes the Assistant Secretary, if such full amounts are not needed, to use the remaining amount for consumer education and technical assistance regarding the digital television (DTV) transition and the availability of the digital-to-analog converter box program (in addition to any pre-existing amounts expended for such purpose). Allows the use of such funds for partnering with, providing grants to, and contracting with non-profit organizations or public interest groups in achieving these efforts.
Requires the Assistant Secretary, if such education program is initiated, to develop a plan to address the educational and technical assistance needs of vulnerable populations, such as senior citizens, individuals residing in rural and remote areas, and minorities, including, where appropriate, education plans focusing on the need for analog pass-through digital converter boxes in areas served by low-power or translator stations. Requires the Assistant Secretary also to consider the speed with which these objectives can be accomplished to the greatest public benefit.
Amends the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 to extend through FY2012 the requirement for the Assistant Secretary to make payments from the Fund to implement a program to reimburse each licensee of an eligible low-power television station for equipment to upgrade low-power television stations from analog to digital in eligible rural communities.
Requires such reimbursements to be issued to eligible stations on or after February 18, 2009 (currently, no earlier than October 1, 2010).
Cosponsors 4
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 28, 2008 to Apr 1, 2008.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-AK | Ted Stevens | Feb 28, 2008 | |
| R-OR | Gordon H. Smith | Mar 31, 2008 | |
| D-WA | Maria Cantwell | Mar 31, 2008 | |
| D-MO | Claire McCaskill | Apr 1, 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 Feb 7, 2008Markup Apr 24, 2008Reported Jun 10, 2008 |
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred Jun 20, 2008 |
Actions 20
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jul 30, 2008Signed by President.
- Jul 30, 2008Became Public Law No: 110-295.
- Jul 22, 2008Presented to President.
- Jul 9, 2008Mr. Hill moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Jul 9, 2008Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H6306-6309)
- Jul 9, 2008DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2607.
- Jul 9, 2008Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H6306)
- Jul 9, 2008Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Jul 9, 2008Cleared for White House.
- Jun 20, 2008Received in the House.
- Jun 20, 2008Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Jun 20, 2008Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Jun 19, 2008Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S5915)
- Jun 19, 2008Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Jun 10, 2008Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Inouye without amendment. With written report No. 110-348.
- Jun 10, 2008Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 774.
- Apr 24, 2008Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Feb 7, 2008Introduced in Senate
- Feb 7, 2008Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S790)
- Feb 7, 2008Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S790)
In the Congressional Record 4
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extensions | Debate and remarks E1550 | Peter A. DeFazio D-OR | Jul 24, 2008 |
| House | Debate and remarks H6306–H6309Text printed H6306 | Baron P. Hill D-IN, Cliff Stearns R-FL, Eliot L. Engel D-NY, Hilda L. Solis D-CA, Janice D. Schakowsky D-IL, John D. Dingell D-MI, Rick Boucher D-VA | Jul 9, 2008 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S5915Amendments S5913, S5915 | Christopher J. Dodd D-CT, Daniel K. Inouye D-HI (amendment), Ted Stevens R-AK (amendment) | Jun 19, 2008 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S790Text printed S790 | Olympia J. Snowe R-ME (text) | Feb 7, 2008 |
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 2
- May 5, 2008S. 2607, A bill to make a technical correction to section 3009 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005<p>Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on April 24, 2008</p>
- May 5, 2008S. 2607, A bill to make a technical correction to section 3009 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005Cost estimate for the bill as ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on April 24, 2008
Printed hearings 4
Hearings whose printed record names this bill, newest first: hearings on it, and wider hearings where it came up.
| Number | Hearing | Committee | Held |
|---|---|---|---|
| S. Hrg. 110-760 | OVERSIGHT OF THE DTV TRANSITION66 pages | Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee | Apr 8, 2008 |
| — | COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 200951 pages | Appropriations Committee | Mar 6, 2008 |
| S. Hrg. 110-628 | COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009338 pages | Appropriations Committee | Mar 6, 2008–Apr 16, 2008 |
| Serial No. 110-88 | STATUS OF THE DTV TRANSITION: 370 DAYS AND COUNTING331 pages | Energy and Commerce Committee | Feb 13, 2008 |
Amendments 1
Amendments offered to this bill.
| Amendment | Description | Offered by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| SA 5014 | In the nature of a substitute. | Daniel K. Inouye D-HI | Amendment SA 5014 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent. |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 5696 | To make a technical correction to section 3009 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. | Identical bill | Apr 4, 2008 |
Titles 4
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to make a technical correction to section 3009 of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.
- Short Titles as Passed House
- DTV Transition Assistance Act
- Short Titles as Passed Senate
- DTV Transition Assistance Act
- Short Titles as Enacted
- DTV Transition Assistance Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications.
Text 5
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jul 11, 2008Enrolled Bill
- Jun 20, 2008Referred in House
- Jun 19, 2008Engrossed in Senate
- Jun 10, 2008Reported to Senate
- Feb 7, 2008Introduced 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.
