Broadcaster Freedom Act of 2011

Broadcaster Freedom Act of 2011 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from having the authority to require broadcasters to present opposing viewpoints on controversial issues of public importance, commonly referred to as the Fairness Doctrine.

[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 642 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 642

 To prevent the Federal Communications Commission from repromulgating 
                         the fairness doctrine.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 10, 2011

   Mr. Pence (for himself, Mr. Walden, Mr. Akin, Mrs. Bachmann, Mr. 
   Bartlett, Mr. Bilbray, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Broun of Georgia, Mr. 
Canseco, Mr. Cole, Mr. Conaway, Mr. Crawford, Mr. Fleming, Mr. Flores, 
Mr. Franks of Arizona, Mr. Gardner, Mr. Gohmert, Mr. Issa, Mr. Jordan, 
   Mr. King of Iowa, Mr. Luetkemeyer, Mrs. Lummis, Mr. McKinley, Mr. 
   Murphy of Pennsylvania, Mr. Neugebauer, Mr. Roe of Tennessee, Mr. 
 Stutzman, Mr. Walberg, Mr. Westmoreland, Mr. Gingrey of Georgia, Mr. 
   Hunter, Mr. Mack, Mr. Turner, Mr. Southerland, Mr. Lamborn, Mrs. 
 Hartzler, Mr. Walsh of Illinois, Mr. Nugent, Mr. Posey, Mr. Kingston, 
Mr. Jones, Mr. Amash, Mrs. Miller of Michigan, Mr. Brady of Texas, Mr. 
 Burton of Indiana, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Flake, Mr. Dreier, Mr. Garrett, 
 Mr. Duncan of Tennessee, Mr. Royce, Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
  Terry, Mr. Hastings of Washington, Mr. Tiberi, Mr. Hensarling, Mr. 
   Bachus, Mr. Rogers of Alabama, Mr. Rogers of Michigan, Mr. Poe of 
Texas, Mr. McCotter, Mr. Rogers of Kentucky, Mr. McClintock, Mr. Wilson 
 of South Carolina, Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. McCaul, Mr. Barton of Texas, 
  Mr. Young of Alaska, Mrs. Emerson, Mr. Farenthold, Mr. Yarmuth, Mr. 
Manzullo, Mrs. McMorris Rodgers, Mr. Latta, Mr. Smith of Nebraska, Mr. 
     Whitfield, Mr. Scalise, Mr. Smith of Texas, Mr. Wittman, Mr. 
LaTourette, Mr. King of New York, Ms. Jenkins, Mr. Pitts, Mr. Graves of 
Missouri, Mr. Harper, Mr. Schock, Mr. West, Mr. Lankford, Mrs. Ellmers, 
 Ms. Granger, Ms. Foxx, Mr. Young of Florida, Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Bishop 
of Utah, Mr. Heller, Mr. Crenshaw, Mr. Ross of Florida, Mr. Griffin of 
   Arkansas, Mr. Simpson, Mr. Bonner, Mr. Cravaack, Mr. Platts, Mr. 
   Stearns, Mr. Womack, Mr. Rokita, Mr. Landry, Mrs. Bono Mack, Mr. 
Quayle, Mr. Kline, Mr. Pompeo, Mr. Kinzinger of Illinois, Mr. Duncan of 
   South Carolina, Mr. Gary G. Miller of California, and Mr. Petri) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                          Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A 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 2011''.

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).''.
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