Mullin reintroduces Cable Transparency Bill

WASHINGTON— Today, Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-02) reintroduced the “Cable Transparency Act” which would bridge the digital divide by creating new opportunities for cable operators and franchise authorities, boosting competition and lowering consumer costs. The Cable Transparency Act was reintroduced as part of the House Energy and Commerce Republicans’ Broadband Connectivity Agenda, which includes 28 bills that would close the digital divide for American families, eliminate red tape, and facilitate a broader deployment of broadband services.

“Oklahoma’s Second District is the only congressional district in the country where broadband is available to less than half the population and with the COVID-19 pandemic, access to broadband has become more important than ever,” Mullin said. “This legislation would streamline the burdensome cable franchising process in order to lower costs, increase transparency and connectivity, and allow more companies to enter the market. I am proud to introduce this bill as part of our Broadband Connectivity Agenda to improve access to broadband and help close the digital divide.”

The “Cable Transparency Act” would:

Amend the Cable Act to provide that a cable franchise remains in place until terminated by either the cable operator or the franchising authority. A cable operator may petition the franchising authority for elimination or amendment of a franchise agreement, which is deemed granted within 120 days if the franchising authority does not approve or deny the petition within such time. This

deemed grant would not apply to petitions for the elimination or modification to a requirement for services relating to public, education, or governmental access.

Establish conditions under which a cable operator or franchising authority could terminate the franchise. A cable operator would be able to terminate the franchising authority by providing 90 days’ notice to the franchising authority. A franchising authority would be able to terminate a cable franchise only when they have made a finding that the cable operator has knowingly and willfully failed to substantially meet a requirement imposed by the franchise, the cable operator has been afforded a reasonable opportunity to cure the alleged violation, and the franchising authority has not waived the noncompliance of a cable operator.