United States · Bill · HR
H.R. 1840 (99th)
Satellite Television Viewing Rights Act of 1985
Introduced
28 March 1985
Last action
6 March 1986 · Committee
Status
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Sponsors
Rep. Tauzin, W. J. (Billy) [R-LA-3], Rep. Rose, Charlie [D-NC-7], Rep. Whittaker, Bob [R-KS-5], Rep. McEwen, Bob [R-OH-6], Sen. Lott, Trent [R-MS], Rep. Tallon, Robert M. (Robin) [D-SC-6], Rep. Rowland, J. Roy [D-GA-8], Rep. Weber, Vin [R-MN-2], Rep. Spratt, John M., Jr. [D-SC-5], Rep. Stenholm, Charles W. [D-TX-17], Rep. Derrick, Butler C. [D-SC-3], Rep. Huckaby, Thomas J. (Jerry) [D-LA-5], Rep. Stangeland, Arlan [R-MN-7], Rep. Bentley, Helen Delich [R-MD-2], Rep. Thomas, Lindsay [D-GA-1], Rep. Ackerman, Gary L. [D-NY-5], Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-13], Rep. Hubbard, Carroll, Jr. [D-KY-1], Rep. Wise, Robert E., Jr. [D-WV-2], Rep. Stump, Bob [R-AZ-3], Rep. Shumway, Norman D. [R-CA-14], Rep. Cooper, Jim [D-TN-5], Rep. Williams, Pat [D-MT-At Large], Sen. Gregg, Judd [R-NH], Rep. Schuette, Bill [R-MI-10], Rep. Heftel, Cecil [D-HI-1], Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large], Rep. Robinson, Tommy F. [D-AR-2], Rep. Traficant, James A., Jr. [D-OH-17], Rep. Byron, Beverly B. [D-MD-6], Rep. Vucanovich, Barbara F. [R-NV-2], Rep. Daub, Hal [R-NE-2], Rep. Perkins, Carl C. [D-KY-7], Rep. Stallings, Richard H. [D-ID-2], Rep. Wilson, Charles [D-TX-2], Rep. Evans, Lane [D-IL-17], Rep. Lehman, Richard H. [D-CA-19], Rep. Long, Cathy (Mrs. Gillis) [D-LA-8], Rep. Davis, Robert W. [R-MI-11], Rep. Skeen, Joe [R-NM-2], Rep. Oberstar, James L. [D-MN-8], Rep. Gray, Kenneth J. [D-IL-22], Sen. Roberts, Pat [R-KS], Del. Sunia, Foto I. F. [D-AS-At Large], Rep. Bereuter, Doug [R-NE-1], Rep. Richardson, Bill [D-NM-3], Rep. Taylor, G. [R-MO-7], Rep. Weaver, James H. [D-OR-4]
Subjects
Discovery layer
Source updated
29 August 2025
Summary
Satellite Television Viewing Rights Act of 1985 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to allow any person to receive encrypted satellite cable programming decoded for private viewing upon compliance with prices, terms, and conditions established in the marketplace or by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Prohibits any person from: (1) denying the availability of such programming for private viewing; (2) substantially restricting the availability of such programming for private viewing through pricing or other terms or conditions; (3) discriminating in price between different distributors offering comparable distribution services; or (4) requiring a person to purchase or lease decoding equipment from a specific source in order to receive such programming. Directs the FCC, if petitioned, to establish reasonable prices, terms, and conditions for the private viewing of such programming in a market by any person who: (1) has been denied viewing rights for at least ten days; (2) has been offered such rights on terms or conditions which substantially restrict the availability of programming; (3) resides in the franchised area of a cable television system where the operator is the sole source of such programming; or (4) resides outside of the franchised area of a cable system where the price for viewing rights is higher than the price paid by subscribers within the market. Sets forth factors to be considered by the FCC in establishing prices.
This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.
Timeline
28 March 1985
Introduced
Referred to House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Source: IntroReferral
28 March 1985
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
28 March 1985
Introduced
Introduced in House
Source: IntroReferral
2 April 1985
Referred
Referred to Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Consumer Protection and Finance.
Source: Committee
6 March 1986
Committee
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Source: Committee
Votes
No vote records are attached yet.
Versions
No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.
Documents
1 official file
Leesvertaling
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Introduced in House
summary · EN · 28 March 1985
Sponsors
- Rep. Tauzin, W. J. (Billy) [R-LA-3] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Rose, Charlie [D-NC-7] · D · Sponsor
- Rep. Whittaker, Bob [R-KS-5] · R · Sponsor
- Rep. McEwen, Bob [R-OH-6] · R · Sponsor
- Sen. Lott, Trent [R-MS] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Tallon, Robert M. (Robin) [D-SC-6] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Rowland, J. Roy [D-GA-8] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Weber, Vin [R-MN-2] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Spratt, John M., Jr. [D-SC-5] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Stenholm, Charles W. [D-TX-17] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Derrick, Butler C. [D-SC-3] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Huckaby, Thomas J. (Jerry) [D-LA-5] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Stangeland, Arlan [R-MN-7] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Bentley, Helen Delich [R-MD-2] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Thomas, Lindsay [D-GA-1] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Ackerman, Gary L. [D-NY-5] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-13] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Hubbard, Carroll, Jr. [D-KY-1] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Wise, Robert E., Jr. [D-WV-2] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Stump, Bob [R-AZ-3] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Shumway, Norman D. [R-CA-14] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Cooper, Jim [D-TN-5] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Williams, Pat [D-MT-At Large] · D · Cosponsor
- Sen. Gregg, Judd [R-NH] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Schuette, Bill [R-MI-10] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Heftel, Cecil [D-HI-1] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Young, Don [R-AK-At Large] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Robinson, Tommy F. [D-AR-2] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Traficant, James A., Jr. [D-OH-17] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Byron, Beverly B. [D-MD-6] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Vucanovich, Barbara F. [R-NV-2] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Daub, Hal [R-NE-2] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Perkins, Carl C. [D-KY-7] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Stallings, Richard H. [D-ID-2] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Wilson, Charles [D-TX-2] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Evans, Lane [D-IL-17] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Lehman, Richard H. [D-CA-19] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Long, Cathy (Mrs. Gillis) [D-LA-8] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Davis, Robert W. [R-MI-11] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Skeen, Joe [R-NM-2] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Oberstar, James L. [D-MN-8] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Gray, Kenneth J. [D-IL-22] · D · Cosponsor
- Sen. Roberts, Pat [R-KS] · R · Cosponsor
- Del. Sunia, Foto I. F. [D-AS-At Large] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Bereuter, Doug [R-NE-1] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Richardson, Bill [D-NM-3] · D · Cosponsor
- Rep. Taylor, G. [R-MO-7] · R · Cosponsor
- Rep. Weaver, James H. [D-OR-4] · D · Cosponsor
Showing 48 of 79 sponsors and actors.
Related records
No cross-record relationships stored yet.
Sources
PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.
- Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/99th-congress/house-bill/1840
- Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/99/hr/1840
- us · 99-hr-1840 · source updated 29 August 2025