Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act
Latest action · Aug 1, 2014 Became Public Law No: 113-144.
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.
- IntroducedMar 11, 2013
- Passed SenateJul 15, 2014
- Passed HouseJul 25, 2014
- To the PresidentJul 28, 2014
- Became lawAug 1, 2014Public Law 113-144
Summary
(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the Senate on July 10, 2014. The summary of that version is repeated here.)
Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act - Repeals a Library of Congress (LOC) rulemaking determination, made upon the recommendation of the Register of Copyrights, regarding the circumvention of technological measures controlling access to copyrighted software on wireless telephone handsets (mobile telephones) for the purpose of connecting to different wireless telecommunications networks (a practice commonly referred to as "unlocking" such devices). Reestablishes, as an exemption to provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) prohibiting such circumvention, a previous LOC rule permitting the use of computer programs, in the form of firmware or software, that enable used wireless telephone handsets to connect to a wireless telecommunications network, when circumvention is initiated by the owner of the copy of such computer program solely to connect to such a network and access to the network is authorized by the network operator, thus permitting unlocked phones.
Directs the Librarian of Congress, upon the recommendation of the Register, to determine whether to extend such exemption to include any other category of wireless devices in addition to wireless telephone handsets (e.g., tablets and other mobile broadband-enabled devices).
Allows such circumvention (unlocking) to be initiated by the owner of such a device, by another person at the direction of the owner, or by a provider of a commercial mobile radio service or a commercial mobile data service at the direction of such owner or other person, solely in order to enable such owner or a family member of such owner to connect to a wireless telecommunications network, when such connection is authorized by the operator of such network.
Prohibits this Act from being construed to alter any party's rights under existing law.
Cosponsors 10
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Mar 11, 2013 to Jul 10, 2014; 5 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MN | Al Franken | Original | Mar 11, 2013 |
| D-MN | Amy Klobuchar | Original | Mar 11, 2013 |
| R-IA | Chuck Grassley | Original | Mar 11, 2013 |
| R-UT | Mike Lee | Original | Mar 11, 2013 |
| R-UT | Orrin G. Hatch | Original | Mar 11, 2013 |
| D-RI | Sheldon Whitehouse | Mar 13, 2013 | |
| R-SD | John Thune | Apr 15, 2013 | |
| D-CO | Michael F. Bennet | Jul 9, 2014 | |
| D-DE | Christopher A. Coons | Jul 10, 2014 | |
| D-CT | Richard Blumenthal | Jul 10, 2014 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Judiciary Committee | Referred Mar 11, 2013Markup Jul 10, 2014Reported Jul 10, 2014 |
Actions 18
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Aug 1, 2014Signed by President.
- Aug 1, 2014Became Public Law No: 113-144.
- Jul 28, 2014Presented to President.
- Jul 25, 2014Mr. Chaffetz asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
- Jul 25, 2014Considered by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR H6835-6836)
- Jul 25, 2014Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by voice vote. (text: CR H6835-6836)
- Jul 25, 2014Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Jul 17, 2014By Senator Leahy from Committee on the Judiciary filed written report. Report No. 113-212.
- Jul 16, 2014Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Jul 16, 2014Received in the House.
- Jul 16, 2014Held at the desk.
- Jul 15, 2014Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S4510-4511; text as passed Senate: CR S4510-4511)
- Jul 10, 2014Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
- Jul 10, 2014Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
- Jul 10, 2014Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 461.
- Mar 11, 2013Introduced in Senate
- Mar 11, 2013Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1594-1595)
- Mar 11, 2013Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1595)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| House | Debate and remarks H6835Text printed H6835 | Jason Chaffetz R-UT | Jul 25, 2014 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S4546 | Patrick J. Leahy D-VT | Jul 16, 2014 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S4510Text printed S4510Amendments S4510 | Richard Blumenthal D-CT | Jul 15, 2014 |
| Senate | Debate and remarks S1594Text printed S1595 | Patrick J. Leahy D-VT (text) | Mar 11, 2013 |
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 estimate
- Jul 17, 2014S. 517, Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition ActAs reported by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary on July 10, 2014
CRS reports 1
Congressional Research Service work that CRS links to this bill or the law it became, newest first.
Cite it 1
Products on other subjects that cite it, usually among other measures.
| Product | Title | Kind | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| R44590 | Repair, Modification, or Resale of SoftwareEnabled Consumer Electronic Devices: Copyright Law Issues Archived | Report | Aug 11, 2016 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 1123 | Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act | Identical bill | Feb 26, 2014 |
Titles 6
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to promote consumer choice and wireless competition by permitting consumers to unlock mobile wireless devices, and for other purposes.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act
- Short Titles as Reported to Senate
- Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act
- Short Titles as Passed House
- Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act
- Short Titles as Passed Senate
- Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act
- Short Titles as Enacted
- Unlocking Consumer Choice and Wireless Competition Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications.
Text 4
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- —Enrolled Bill
- Jul 15, 2014Engrossed in Senate
- Jul 10, 2014Reported to Senate
- Mar 11, 2013Introduced 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.
