HR 642 · 112th Congress 2011–2013, ended

Broadcaster Freedom Act of 2011

Introduced Feb 10, 2011 Originated House Sponsor Mike Pence R-IN

Fact sheet Spreadsheet

Latest action · Feb 18, 2011 Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.

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.

  1. IntroducedFeb 10, 2011
  2. Passed HouseNot reached
  3. Passed SenateNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Broadcaster Freedom Act of 2011 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from having the authority to require broadcasters to present opposing viewpoints on controversial issues of public importance, commonly referred to as the Fairness Doctrine.

Cosponsors 145

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 10, 2011 to Sep 12, 2011; 113 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
R-ILAaron SchockOriginalFeb 10, 2011
R-ILAdam KinzingerOriginalFeb 10, 2011
R-NEAdrian SmithOriginalFeb 10, 2011
R-FLAllen B. WestOriginalFeb 10, 2011
R-FLAnder CrenshawOriginalFeb 10, 2011
R-AZBenjamin QuayleOriginalFeb 10, 2011
R-TXBill FloresOriginalFeb 10, 2011
R-FLBill PoseyOriginalFeb 10, 2011
R-MOBlaine LuetkemeyerOriginalFeb 10, 2011
R-TXBlake FarentholdOriginalFeb 10, 2011
R-CABrian P. BilbrayOriginalFeb 10, 2011
R-FLC. W. Bill YoungOriginalFeb 10, 2011
R-MICandice S. MillerOriginalFeb 10, 2011
R-WACathy McMorris RodgersOriginalFeb 10, 2011
R-MNChip CravaackOriginalFeb 10, 2011
Show all 145 cosponsors

Committees 1

Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.

ChamberCommitteeWhat it did
HouseEnergy and Commerce Committee
Referred Feb 10, 2011
Communications and Technology Subcommittee
Referred Feb 18, 2011

Actions 3

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Feb 18, 2011Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
  2. Feb 10, 2011Introduced in House
  3. Feb 10, 2011Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

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.

Constitutional authority

Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: This bill protects against infringement upon the essential liberty of freedom of speech, in accordance with Amendment I of the United States Constitution.

The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the page H683.

Titles 2

Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.

Official Title as Introduced
To prevent the Federal Communications Commission from repromulgating the fairness doctrine.
Short Titles as Introduced
Broadcaster Freedom Act of 2011

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Feb 10, 2011Introduced in House

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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.