House Bill 226 - Broadcaster Freedom Act

Read the second time and placed on the calendar Text of H.R.226 Back to Bill Details
HR 226 IH 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 226 To prevent the Federal Communications Commission from repromulgating the fairness doctrine.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
BILL
To prevent the Federal Communications Commission from repromulgating the fairness doctrine.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘Broadcaster Freedom Act of 2009’.

SEC. 2. FAIRNESS DOCTRINE PROHIBITED.
Title III of the Communications Act of 1934 is amended by inserting after section 303 (47 U.S.C. 303) the following new section:

‘SEC. 303A. LIMITATION ON GENERAL POWERS: FAIRNESS DOCTRINE.
‘Notwithstanding section 303 or any other provision of this Act or any other Act authorizing the Commission to prescribe rules, regulations, policies, doctrines, standards, or other requirements, the Commission shall not have the authority to prescribe any rule, regulation, policy, doctrine, standard, or other requirement that has the purpose or effect of reinstating or repromulgating (in whole or in part) the requirement that broadcasters present opposing viewpoints on controversial issues of public importance, commonly referred to as the ‘Fairness Doctrine’, as repealed in General Fairness Doctrine Obligations of Broadcast Licensees, 50 Fed. Reg. 35418 (1985).’.

CAUGHT ON TAPE:

FOX NEWS Producer Griff Jenkins interviewed Chairwoman Pelosi as she passed through the halls on this issue. She was asked, "Madam Speaker, do you still support reintstating the Fairness Doctrine?" She responded with, "I always have." That segment is shown in a report by Bill O'Reilly: