Skip to content
PoliticalRepoPoliticalRepo

United States · Bill · HR

H.R. 4449 (105th)

Satellite Access to Local Stations Act

referredUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

6 August 1998

Last action

12 August 1998 · Referred

Status

Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property.

Sponsors

Sen. Burr, Richard [R-NC], Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC], Rep. Whitfield, Ed [R-KY-1], Rep. Norwood, Charles W. [R-GA-9], Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-17], Rep. Metcalf, Jack [R-WA-2], Rep. Taylor, Charles H. [R-NC-11], Rep. Etheridge, Bob [D-NC-2], Rep. Jones, Walter B., Jr. [R-NC-3], Rep. Sandlin, Max [D-TX-1], Rep. Gutknecht, Gil [R-MN-1], Rep. Hutchinson, Asa [R-AR-3], Rep. Deal, Nathan [R-GA-9], Rep. Peterson, Collin C. [D-MN-7], Rep. Peterson, John E. [R-PA-5], Rep. Skeen, Joe [R-NM-2], Rep. Turner, Jim [D-TX-2], Rep. Hall, Tony P. [D-OH-3], Rep. Coble, Howard [R-NC-6], Rep. Bass, Charles F. [R-NH-2], Rep. Tiahrt, Todd [R-KS-4], Rep. Lewis, Ron [R-KY-2], Sen. Chambliss, Saxby [R-GA], Rep. Ballenger, Cass [R-NC-10], Rep. Price, David E. [D-NC-4], Rep. Myrick, Sue Wilkins [R-NC-9], Rep. Morella, Constance A. [R-MD-8], Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9], Rep. Holden, Tim [D-PA-17], Sen. Coburn, Tom [R-OK], Rep. Paxon, Bill [R-NY-27], Rep. Regula, Ralph [R-OH-16], Rep. Aderholt, Robert B. [R-AL-4], Rep. Bishop, Sanford D. [D-GA-2], Rep. Boehlert, Sherwood [R-NY-24], Rep. Campbell, Tom [R-CA-15], Rep. McInnis, Scott [R-CO-3], Rep. Stump, Bob [R-AZ-3], Rep. Vento, Bruce F. [D-MN-4], Rep. Dickey, Jay [R-AR-4], Rep. Weller, Jerry [R-IL-11], Rep. Hastings, Doc [R-WA-4], Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT], Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2], Rep. Davis, Tom [R-VA-11], Rep. Wise, Robert E., Jr. [D-WV-2], Rep. Hefner, W. G. (Bill) [D-NC-8], Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS]

Subjects

Discovery layer

Source updated

21 August 2025

Official sourceDownload fileView documentsShare

Summary

Satellite Access to Local Stations Act - Amends Federal copyright law to cite circumstances under which the secondary transmission by a satellite carrier of a primary transmission of a television broadcast station into the station's local market shall be subject to statutory licensing. Sets forth reporting requirements for a satellite carrier whose secondary transmissions are subject to such licensing requirements. Precludes any royalty obligation for such secondary transmissions. States that noncompliance with such reporting requirements by a satellite carrier of a television broadcast station is actionable as an act of infringement and fully subject to copyright remedies. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 regarding the retransmission of broadcasting station signals. Prohibits cable systems and other multichannel video programming distributors from retransmitting a broadcasting station's signal without the station's express consent. Directs the Federal Communications Commission to commence a rulemaking proceeding to revise regulations governing the exercise by television broadcast stations of the right to grant retransmission consent. Prescribes requirements for the carriage of local television signals by satellite carriers, including: (1) carriage obligations; (2) carriage of all local television stations on contiguous channels and in a nondiscriminatory manner on any navigational device, on-screen guide, or menu; (3) compensation for carriage; and (4) remedies for failure to meet obligations.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

  1. 6 August 1998

    Introduced

    Introduced in House

    Source: IntroReferral

  2. 6 August 1998

    Introduced

    Referred to House Judiciary

    Source: IntroReferral

  3. 6 August 1998

    Introduced

    Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

    Source: IntroReferral

  4. 6 August 1998

    Introduced

    Introduced in House

    Source: IntroReferral

  5. 12 August 1998

    Referred

    Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property.

    Source: Committee

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

Documents

3 official files

Introduced in House (text)

View fileDownload file

This file cannot be previewed here. Use View or Download.

Leesvertaling

Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Introduced in House (text)

    Introduced in House · EN · 6 August 1998

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

  • Introduced in House (PDF)

    Introduced in House · EN · 6 August 1998

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Introduced in House

    summary · EN · 6 August 1998

    Open at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

Sponsors

Showing 48 of 57 sponsors and actors.

Related records

No cross-record relationships stored yet.

Sources

PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.