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HR 3745 111th Congress House Science, Technology, Communications Broadcasting, cable, digital technologies Educational technology and distance education Government information and archives Government studies and investigations Television and film User charges and fees

CAP Act

Introduced: October 7, 2009 Introduced by: Baldwin, Tammy Democratic · Wisconsin See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Oct 8, 2009
Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet.
Oct 7, 2009
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Oct 7, 2009
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Community Access Preservation Act or the CAP Act - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require, with a specified waiver authority, that public, educational, and government (PEG) channels be: (1) carried in the same channel capacity as local commercial television channels, or if no such stations are required to be carried, in the same channel capacity as network-affiliated commercial television stations carried on cable; and (2) provided to every cable subscriber without additional service or equipment charges.

Requires a cable operator to: (1) carry PEG signals to subscribers without material degradation and without altering content; and (2) provide facilities adequate to fulfill such requirements.

Requires cable operators in states that have adopted statewide franchising to: (1) make PEG support payments equal to the greater of the cash payment required under state law or the value of historically-provided PEG support; (2) carry PEG signals from the point of origin to subscribers; and (3) provide at least the number of channels for PEG use provided as of May 31, 2005.

What's happening now October 8, 2009

Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2