HR 285 · 117th Congress 2021–2023, ended

CASE-IT Act

Introduced Jan 12, 2021 Originated House Sponsor W. Gregory Steube R-FL

Latest action · Feb 2, 2021 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.

IntroducedJan 12, 2021
Passed HouseNot reached
Passed SenateNot reached
To the PresidentNot reached
Became lawNot reached

Summary

Curbing Abuse and Saving Expression In Technology Act or the CASE-IT Act

This bill limits the protections for a user or provider of an interactive computer service (e.g., social media company) related to content that is published on or removed from its platform.

The bill removes for one year the protection from being treated as the publisher of information provided by another content provider if a user or provider facilitates (1) illegal online content; (2) certain exploitive contact between adults and minors; or (3) content that is indecent, obscene, or otherwise harmful to minors.

Further, to avoid being treated as the publisher of third-party content or subject to liability for screening and blocking content on its platform, an interactive computer service that is dominant in its market (i.e., has gained substantial, sustained market power over any competitors) must make content moderation decisions pursuant to policies or practices that are consistent with the First Amendment.

Cosponsors 6

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Jan 12, 2021 to Jan 13, 2022; 3 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.

Seat	Cosponsor		Signed on
R-IA	Ashley Hinson	Original	Jan 12, 2021
R-OK	Kevin Hern	Original	Jan 12, 2021
R-NC	Madison Cawthorn	Original	Jan 12, 2021
D-NJ	Jefferson Van Drew		Jan 21, 2021
R-WV	Alexander X. Mooney		Sep 30, 2021
R-WI	Thomas P. Tiffany		Jan 13, 2022

Committees 1

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

Chamber	Committee	What it did
House	Energy and Commerce Committee	Referred Jan 12, 2021
	Communications and Technology Subcommittee	Referred Feb 3, 2021

Actions 3

Everything that happened, newest first.

Feb 2, 2021Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.
Jan 12, 2021Introduced in House
Jan 12, 2021Referred 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

[Pages H149-H150] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] By Mr. STEUBE: H.R. 285. Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuant to the following: Article 1, Section 8 The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; To borrow money on the credit of the United States; To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes; To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States; To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures; To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States; To establish Post Offices and Post Roads; To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries; To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court; and Offenses against the Law of Nations; To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water; To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years; To provide and maintain a Navy; To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces; To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions; To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress; To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; And To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

The sponsor’s statement, as printed in the Congressional Record, vol. 167, no. 7, January 12, 2021, page H150.

Printed hearings 1

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. 117-8	REVIVING COMPETITION, PART 1: PROPOSALS TO ADDRESS GATEKEEPER POWER AND LOWER BARRIERS TO ENTRY ONLINE220 pages	Judiciary Committee	Feb 25, 2021

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
R47049	Children and the Internet: Legal Considerations in Restricting Access to Content	Report	Mar 14, 2022

Related bills 2

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

Bill	Title	Relationship	Latest action
HR 573	CASE–IT Act	Reintroduced Bill	Feb 3, 2023
HR 8719	CASE-IT Act	Reintroduction of	Oct 30, 2020

Titles 3

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

Official Title as Introduced: To amend section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934 to limit the immunity of providers and users of interactive computer services under such section, and for other purposes.
Short Title(s) as Introduced: CASE-IT Act; Curbing Abuse and Saving Expression In Technology Act

Subjects

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

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

Jan 12, 2021Introduced 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.